Issue article

DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION

Injustice can happen when a person is excluded, underestimated, or denied access because of a disability.

Injustice Through My Eyes artwork

What it can look like

Examples include inaccessible spaces, refusing a required accommodation, excluding a qualified person from participation, harassment related to disability, or assuming a person is incapable without evaluating the individual.

Access changes the outcome

A staircase and a ramp are not identical, but both can lead to the same door. Fairness can require removing a barrier rather than pretending the barrier affects everyone equally.

My view: Equal access is not a favor. When the law requires accessibility or accommodations, providing them is part of equal treatment.

Schools and public institutions

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights enforces Section 504 and Title II of the ADA in relevant education contexts to address disability discrimination.

What justice should require

Design for access, listen to the person affected, make required accommodations, judge capability individually, and remove barriers that are unnecessary.

Research source

This article is written in my own words and uses this source for the legal or factual background referenced above.

U.S. Department of Education — Disability Discrimination ↗