Joanne R. Pompano
"Every seven minutes, someone in America becomes blind or visually impaired."
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There are approximately 10 million visually handicapped people
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currently in the United States including 93,600 school-age children.
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At some time in their lives, any one of these individuals is likely to encounter people or situations that will attempt to deny or restrict their rights and opportunities. Disabled individuals many also have to deal with peers, employers and other community members who simply may be unfamiliar with the needs or rights of disabled individuals. The consequence of this ignorance is that the disabled person may face uncomfortable, awkward, or discriminatory situations. Disabled students must learn how to handle these situations while maintaining their dignity and protecting their rights.
The first step persons with a disability should take in protecting their rights is to learn about the entitlements that are available to protect them and understand the remedies available when denied their rights. Another important aspect of protecting their rights is to understand and appreciate the difficulties and hardships faced by disabled individuals who, in the not so distance past, fought for the rights of disabled persons.
When researching this topic, students will find that disabled individuals had to deal with their disabilities with little support, understanding or assistance from the community and without laws to ensure their rights. Students will discover the difficulties and hardships faced by disabled individuals who fought for accessibility and equality. They will uncover the struggles that waged to get laws and attitudes changed in our society. They also can reflect on the humiliation and anger of those who had no access to public buildings or facilities. In their research, they will find pioneers like Edward V. Roberts, the first severely handicapped student to attend Berkeley in 1979.