American With Disabilities Act Essay

When Dr. Irving King Jordan was appointed the seventh president of Gallaudet University, he quoted Frederick Schreibert, saying, “Deaf people can do anything hearing people can, except hear.” This sentence rang loud throughout the deaf community, becoming the motto of what was just becoming a very strong force. The idea that a deaf person can do everything a hearing person can do was not always a universal thought. In fact, before the eighties, the deaf community was rarely taken seriously. The deaf community was often seen as weak or less than in comparison with other minority groups. When the American’s with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990, legal rights were set out to give eqaulity to the deaf community. However, this is not what instilled

The American’s With Disabilities Act was signed in 1990, but the idea to protect those with disabilities was around before this went into affect. In 1973, the Rehabilitation Act was passed. This amendment is a predecessor to the American’s with Disabilities Act. The Rehabilitation Act provided equal opportunity for employment within the federal government as well as federally funded programs. It also prohibited discrimination on the basis of physical or mental disability The university was founded on the idea that deaf people deserve an equal quality of education. A standard that people are judged on when applying for a job, is their education. Without a proper education, a deaf applicant may not be taken seriously. With the help of the Rehabilitation Act, a deaf person was more inclined to show their strengths in a place that they were not usually seen at. Deaf people and hearing people were seen working together in an office more than ever. The unsaid fear that deaf people cannot do as good of a job as a hearing person can be slowly getting torn down. Piece by piece, person by person, the deaf community was showing their strength. The law, although not