The Disabilities That Society Sees (Essay Sample)

Discussion: The Disabilities That Society Sees Student's Name University Course Professor Date The Disabilities That Society Sees The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was enacted to protect people living with disabilities in the United States. Its Section 504 focuses on preventing discrimination based on disability in federal financial assistance programs and applies to employers and organizations that receive this assistance (OASAM, n.d.). This law precedes the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, which protects disabled persons from unfair treatment in other life activities not covered in previous legislation (ADA National Network, 2017). Leading up to the promulgation of the Rehabilitation Act, people with disabilities suffered without civil rights addressing their inequalities. The attention given to them never went beyond their medical needs, and years of activism and advocacy called for scrutiny, giving rise to these laws (Wilcher, 2018). Because of these laws, people with disabilities have protections against discrimination. While most physical disabilities are recognizable and can be responded to, the burden of invisible disabilities is evident. These disabilities can only be known to the public by being made aware of their existence by the disabled person. They range from visual or auditory impairments in people who do not use aids to mental and musculoskeletal impairments in individuals who do not use mobility support (Disabled World, 2022). Without knowledge of the existence of the disability, people would not know that an individual needed to be protected. The only way for employers and the public to be aware is through disclosure, hence the need for policies and cultures that promote disclosure and protect people with these disabilities. Prince (2017) argues that employers must develop a workplace culture and policies that anticipate these disabilities and encourage people to disclose them. Since these disabilities impair daily life activities, public sensitization and national policies addressing invisible disabilities should be implemented. That way, persons with invisible disabilities will be understood and protected rather than be accused of faking their disabi...