Section II: People With Disabilities

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This is a Companion Training Manual to accompany the Corporation for National and Community Service publication Creating an Inclusive Environment: A Handbook for the Inclusion of People with Disabilities in National and Community Service Programs. The Inclusion Handbook is available on-line at www.serviceandinclusion.org, or you may call the National Service Inclusion Project at 888-491-0326 (voice/TTY) or email at nsip@umb.edu.

Overview

Key Words and Terms

  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
  • Community-Based Living
  • Functional Limitations
  • Major Life Activity
  • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
  • Substantially Limits
  • Three-Part Definition of a Person with a Disability

Introduction

This section is concerned with the history of disability. The purpose of this section is to create an appreciation for the importance of inclusion in a society that values the contribution of all its citizens.

From pre-history, through the Middle Ages, and into the 20th Century, people with disabilities were segregated, marginalized and institutionalized. in the 1970s, the disability rights movement emerged and echoed the themes of other movements- individual choice, equal opportunity, and the right of participation.

This movement led to laws that created a right for all children with disabilities to receive a free and appropriate education in a regular classroom with their able-bodied peers. It led to the development of independent living centers, the majority of which are controlled and staffed by people with disabilities. It succeeded in obtaining passage of several federal laws that advance the civil rights of persons with disabilities. These are Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Air Carrier Access Act, the Fair Housing Act Amendments, and perhaps the most well known and far reaching, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

 

Trainer Notes

Objectives of this Section

At the completion of this unit, each participant will:

  1. Develop an understanding of the historical overview of social perceptions of someone with a disability.
  2. Comprehend the prevalence of disability in the United States.
  3. Develop an understanding of the importance of person-first language and etiquette.
  4. Demonstrate overall knowledge and significance of Section 504, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Domestic Volunteer Service Act, and the National and Community Service Act related to disability inclusion.
  5. Be able to identify and understand the impact of key terms such as Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Functional Limitations, Major Life Activity, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Substantially Limits, and the three-part definition of a Person with a Disability.

 

Suggested audiences

  • Members in service
  • Members involved in capacity-building
  • Service and volunteer program managers and staff
  • Organization staff
  • Organization Board of Directors
  • Disability organizations

 

Visuals and Power Points recommended for this Section

Slides with Notes pages are found at the end of this section.

 

Activities included for this Section

  • Famous People with Disabilities
  • Inclusion Match Card Game with Case Studies

 

Handouts recommended for this Section

  • Beyond Disability Awareness
  • Common Myths about Disabilities
  • Use of Proper Language and Basic Disability Etiquette
  • Learning Disabiliies Tool Kit
  • Living with a Disability
  • Substance Abuse and Disability Fact Sheet
  • What We Mean When We Talk About Inclusion
  • Who are People with Disabilities? Fact Sheet

 

Supplies/equipment needed: (e.g. markers, flipcharts, LCD)

Use depends on your personal preferences, availability, and the activities chosen. Each activity lists any unique needs.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What has it meant in the past, and what does it currently mean, to have a disability?
  • How many people with disabilities are there in the United States?
  • What is the definition of disability?
  • What protections are there for people with disabilities?
  • How does a person who is entitled to protection under these laws get assistance if s/he feels that they have been discriminated against?

 

Useful references and resources for this Section

Frequently Asked Questions - Opening Doors to Service Inclusion in Action – Profiles of Alumni See Appendix – References and Resources.

Preparing your organization to engage people with disabilities http://www.nationalserviceresources.org/epicenter/practices/index.php?ep....

Including the Developmentally Disabled in Traditional Volunteer Programs: Why Organizations Should Do It, and How to Get There- http://www.serviceleader.org/new/documents/articles/2004/06/000230.php

Hint: go to www.serviceleader.org then search the site for "developmental disabilities".

 

Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation

Then Center is a research, training and service organization dedicated to improving the lives of persons who have psychiatric disabilities.

Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation Boston University 940 Commonwealth Avenue West Boston, MA 02215. Phone: 617-353-3549 Fax: 617-353-7700. http://www.bu.edu/cpr/reasaccom/

 

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities

(NICHCY) compiles disability-related resources in each state and creates State Resource Sheets. This handy resource sheet will help you locate organizations and agencies within your statethat address disability-related issues. http://www.nichcy.org/states.htm

 

Assessment

Training Survey

Date: _________________________

After each numbered statement, indicate your current level of knowledge about the following topics on a scale of 1 - 5.  1 = nothing, 2 = not much, 3 = somewhat, 4 = some, 5 = a lot

  1. The history of the rights of people with disabilities
  2. Why person-first language and etiquette is important
  3. The prevalence of disability in the United States
  4. Which laws relate to the rights of people with disabilities
  5. The significance of the laws that relate to disability inclusion
  6. The three-part definition of a disability
  7. The meaning of key terms, such as:
    1. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
    2. Section 504 of the Rehabilitiation Act
    3. 'Substantially Limits' as it relates to the definition of disability
    4. 'Major Life Activity' as it relates to the definition of disability
    5. 'Functional Limitation' as it relates to the definition of disability

Primary links