What Disability Law Means to Americans
by: New Mexico Legal Aid
What The ADA Means To Disabled People
Lots of Americans have disabilities.
These people cannot do all the basic actions of life.
Some cannot walk. Some cannot talk. Some cannot stand.
Because of their problems people think of them as abnormal; not normal. They are treated badly by the people who do not have their problems. They do not have an equal chance to have a job. They cannot get a nice place to live. They are not allowed to get the education they need.
There was no legal help for them until this law was passed.
Disabled people were victims of discrimination in many ways.
Sometimes there was planned discrimination in the way a building was built. Sometimes discrimination was planned in the way trains are made. Sometimes there was discrimination in the way cars are made.
Things could be done to make cars and trains useable by people who have disabilities.
There were rules and plans that discriminated against people with disabilities. These could be changed.
People with disabilities were put into special groups.
The idea was to separate them from other people.
These groups of people were treated badly. They did not have the same opportunities as other people.
The new law protects disabled persons.
It helps them to fight discrimination. It sets up new, strong rules against discrimination.
It uses the power of congress to fight discrimination against the disabled.
The law works to help disabled people get jobs.
It helps them use public trains and buses.
It helps them get a place to stay when they travel.
It helps them get telephones that are made for their use.
It makes sure that all services are available to them.
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