The Americans with Disabilities Act is Only the First Step Essay

The Ameri domiciliates with Disabilities coiffe is Only the First StepThe United States of America is founded upon the groundwork that all men atomic number 18 created equal. America is also viewed as the land of opportunity, as large numbers of immigrants enter the country in order to make a better heart for themselves. These catch phrases used above are an honorable attempt to portray America as a land where everything is fair and everyone possesses a chance to succeed. These slogans, which we so easily state, do not tell the full story, however. Racism and prejudice abound in the land of the free and can be witnessed on an virtually daily basis. The government endeavors to remedy the inequalities through programs such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which is a noble attempt to present all people with a much equal playing field. This program, and others like it, are effective, but it is not the final solution that people often think it is. There is much to be do to gain equality, especially regarding the somaticly disabled in the work force. The ADA is a foundation upon which a greater sense of equality should be created. The Americans With Disabilities Act was passed in 1990. The ADA strives to guarantee disabled individuals protection from discrimination. Marjorie Baldwin defines a main principle of the ADA when she states, One of the main objectives of the ADA is to improve the employment prospects of persons with disabilities by eliminating employer discrimination (Baldwin 39). Under the ADA, a disabled person is one who is limited in one or more life activities by a physical or mental impairment. Through five titles of the act, disabled people are defended from being denied access to a job if they can meet the demands... ...m the government, and the disabled can then succeed and erase the stigmas of society, then true equality can be obtained. This government support is not simply protection from injustice, but a chance to compete e qually with the rest of society. Works CitedBaldwin, Marjorie L. Can the ADA Achieve Its Employment Goals? Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social scientific discipline 25. 4 (1981) 39-62.Charlton, James I. Nothing About Us Without Us Disability Oppression andEmpowerment. Berkeley Univ. of California Press, 1998.Harlan, Sharon L. The Social Construction of Disability in Organization. Work and Occupations 25.4 (1998) 420-425.Kregel, John. why It Pays To Hire Workers with Developmental Disability. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities 14.3 (1998) 132-135.Nations Health. 30.8 (Sept. 2000) 8-13.