Summary

Despite being the largest minority in the United States—a minority that anyone can join at any time in one's life—those with disabilities have traditionally remained a hidden minority. From the institutionalization of the handicapped for centuries in the United States to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's concealment of his battle with polio, disabilities have often been stigmatized as private struggles. However, the successes of civil rights movements rallied disabled Americans and their supporters to campaign for acceptance of disabilities and for equal protection under law.

Rights of the Disabled presents an objective overview of the history of this topic and opinions surrounding it, ranging from the formation of the League of the Physically Handicapped in 1935 to current efforts to enhance and modify the Americans with Disabilities Act. Contemporary case studies such as Barden v. Sacramento and documents such as The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 provide multiple perspectives and decisions surrounding the issue while also plotting a course for the future of legislative action pertaining to rights of the disabled. A comprehensive and up-to-date overview essay, capsule biographies, a large annotated bibliography, a chronology of significant events, organization and agency listings, and a glossary provide helpful information for readers interested in this controversial topic.

Coverage includes:

• The resources available to those with disabilities
• How the ADA has been impacted by recent legislation
• Accessible public transportation
• How the federal government defines disabilities
• Prosecution of crimes against the disabled
• and more.

Specifications

Index. Appendixes. Bibliography. Glossary. Chronology.

About the Author(s)

David M. Haugen holds an M.A. in English from the University of Washington and has completed Ph.D. coursework at the university. A freelance editor and writer, he has worked as a managing editor at Greenhaven Press and as a general editor for Lucent Books. He is the author or coauthor of more than 35 reference books, and has written Legalized Gambling in Facts On File’s Library in a Book series.