The History of fighting for disability rights goes back as far as I can remember to Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, however it probably goes back even further. Lets start with Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. Mr. Gallaudet was born on December 10th 1787.

Thomas had a major amount of love an compassion for the deaf community at the time who had no language for which to communicate. He traveled around the World and brought a Frenchman interpreter by the name of Laurent Clerc to America to teach the deaf at that time French Sign Language. Basically Mr. Gallaudet advocated for the deaf community.

As Mr. Clerc was teaching the deaf at that time French Sign Language the deaf learners changed the signs they were learning from Mr. Clerc to their own unique language which in later years would be known as American Sign Language (ASL).

Despite the deaf community at the time now having their own language they were not immune to discrimination. Non-disabled people, non-deaf came up with names such as Deaf and Dumb, Deaf-Mute, Hearing-impaired.

Depending on a deaf individuals age today depends on whether or not the word is considered an insult or not. Another type of insult to a deaf person would be if you stared at them when you yourself do not know Sign Language. 

One of the biggest questions I have gotten asked about sign language is “Is there a universal sign language” and the answer is NO. Every country has their own sign language. Now there may be people in other countries who know American Sign Language.

Now going forward in time a few centuries to to the 19th and 20th century people with disabilities were placed in institutions and shut out of society. Basically we were treated as outcasts until the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 which was just the start of disability discrimination reform.

The Rehabilitation Act made it possible for people with disabilities to gain access to buildings by requiring wheelchair ramps, and required employers to hire people with disabilities. It also required easy access to public transportation.

On July 26th 1990 the Americans with Disabilities Act superseded the Rehabilitation Act and expanded the rights given to those with disabilities. One of the main activists for the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act was Judith Heumann.

Although much progress has been made for people with disabilities we still to this day face discrimination. We are looked upon at times with contempt, not given equal opportunities when it comes to employment.

I can give one example from an incident that happened to me when it came to not given equal opportunities when it comes to employment. It was during the Summer a number of years back I had an interview at a Staples Store near me, and the manager said she didn’t hire me because she thought I would get injured.

Now some will say the manager was looking out for your health and well being, but the other side would say she saw me as a liability to the company, and I can confirm that’s exactly why the Americans with Disabilities Act is in place is to make sure situations like that don’t happen. For an employer to say something like that could cost the company millions of dollars in court.