Americans with Disabilities Act: July 2010 Marks 20th Anniversary

Health concerns for individuals with disabilities are multi-faceted. Not only may individuals with disabilities not have health insurance once they are adults (due to not having job-related insurance or coverage from their parents), they also may not be able to express their illnesses and health issues to their health care providers.

Health care providers may not understand how to effectively communicate with individuals, which leads to health conditions and symptoms that are overlooked or misinterpreted. The Americans with Disabilities (ADA) helped to overcome and alleviate these barriers to quality health care.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that people with disabilities are more likely than people without disabilities to suffer from: poorer overall health, less access to adequate health care, and smoking and physical inactivity. These factors lead to the increased rate of development of chronological diseases (ex. diabetes, heart disease, stroke, etc.).

The CDC offers suggestions to health care providers and others to help effectively communicate and respect individuals with disabilities. According to their website, the CDC suggests: "See the whole person, not just the disability. Ask the person with a disability if he or she needs any help. Do not assume help is needed. Respect what a person with a disability can do. See the ability in disability."

The ADA also helps individuals with disabilities by requiring that public and private properties provide accessible buildings. Wider doorways, ramps, handicapped parking spots, rails, supports, and large print are among some of the supports ADA has made readily available to individuals with disabilities.

By ensuring that these types of accommodations are legal rights, the ADA allows individuals to live more independent lives and to take legal action against companies and venues that refuse to offer reasonable accommodations.

Personally, I've had experiences with two day care facilities that refused to provide reasonable accommodation for my daughters, who both have autism. We were told we needed to find a new day care by each of these centers. One center told us this after seven days; the other waited only two hours to call me at work and ask me to pick up my children.

Legally, I could have sued them. However, I didn't think that I would be comfortable sending my children to a facility that I had to sue to provide services for them.

There are many cases where businesses unknowingly violate ADA provisions. By knowing your rights or your loved ones rights under the ADA, you can be your own best advocate.

Sources: 20th Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act, http://cdc.gov/Features/ADAAnniversary/