| The campaign stretches back fifty years, bringing | | | | dealing with circumstances including testing |
| awareness to the public about the role that individuals | | | | accommodations, transportation and classroom |
| with disabilities can play in the workplace and within | | | | accessibility. Section 504 also prohibited discrimination in |
| society. The origins of the initiative were to encourage | | | | the admissions process based on a student's |
| employers to not make decisions based on | | | | disability.The scope of protections was vastly |
| stereotypes, and to give them equal consideration in | | | | expanded by the Americans with Disabilities Act |
| job searches.In 1945, Congress set aside the first | | | | (ADA) in 1990. The ADA addressed workplace |
| week of October as "National Employ the Physically | | | | discrimination, preventing employers from discriminating |
| Handicapped Week," and later in 1962, they removed | | | | against individuals with disabilities in hiring practices |
| the word "physically" to include other disabilities. The | | | | when the applicant was otherwise qualified for the job. |
| week was expanded to a month-long awareness | | | | It also required businesses to take steps to make their |
| campaign in 1988. The campaign was designed not | | | | facilities accessible to any person, within a reasonable |
| only to address stereotypes, but promote the laws | | | | cost and effort. The Act installed financial penalties for |
| that discourage discriminatory practices in hiring and | | | | bad faith non-compliance, but encouraged voluntary |
| other areas.Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of | | | | compliance first.National Disability Employment |
| 1973 was the first law to directly address discrimination | | | | Awareness Month is a campaign that is applicable to |
| against individuals with disabilities. It was designed to | | | | all areas of society, beyond employment and higher |
| prevent discriminatory practices by any programs or | | | | education and into businesses and social interactions. |
| activities that received federal funds to support their | | | | One of the most important concepts that comes out |
| program. That included employment within the federal | | | | of this awareness is that not all disabilities are physical, |
| government, and colleges and universities receiving | | | | and not all disabilities are readily detectable when you |
| federal funding (financial aid.)Out of Section 504 came | | | | first meet a person. It is important, therefore, to |
| the "reasonable accommodation" standard that is | | | | separate the person from their disability, to not make |
| common practice for educational institutions, and now | | | | assumptions about someone based solely upon what |
| also workplace environments, in determining | | | | you might have heard, or see at a glance. One month |
| appropriate accommodations for persons with | | | | of heightened awareness can lead to a year-around |
| disabilities. Essentially, students with disabilities must be | | | | support for full inclusion and acceptance.--- |
| provided the same opportunity to participate in campus | | | | Andrew Marx writes articles on topics including |
| programming, both academic and social. There is a | | | | personal finance and higher education, emphasizing a |
| whole range of best practices that apply this standard, | | | | practical and informed approach to his ideas. |