A Speech Congress, Frank Bowe, A Highly Educated Deaf Man

Individuals with disability have had a long history of maltreatment in America. From being thought of as possessed individuals in need of exorcism, targeted for heinous experiments, unknowingly sterilized, being labeled imbecile, feeble minded, and retarded, to being shipped off to state schools or mental asylums, those with disabilities were given no consideration as a valuable and able to contribute member of society. In a speech to congress, Frank Bowe, a highly educated deaf-man highlighted this claim by stating, â€Å"we are not even second-class citizens, we are third-class citizens† (Bowe, F. 1977--need citation), and Jim Cherry (2001) furthered the ideal in his words, that prior to â€Å"1970 we [disabled citizens] had no right to education, to employment, to transportation, to housing, or to voting. There were no civil rights laws for us, no federal advocacy grants. Few people looked beyond our medical needs† (Cherry, J.L, 2001 http://www.raggededgemagazine.co m/0701/0701cov.htm). Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 attempted to fundamentally change how disabled people were reguarded. Background History of Section 504 From Dorothea Dix in the 1800’s to Frank Bowe and the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities (ACCD) in the 1970’s, many disability rights activist tried to win support for anti-discrimination laws. Many times, it was the parent advocates at the forefront, who were demanding that their children be taken out of institutions and asylums, andShow MoreRelatedFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 Pagesyear has provided unusual challenges to providing current examples. The financial crisis and recession that descended on the United States in the fall of 2008 saw the failure or bankruptcy of companies that were formerly considered to be well run and highly admired. Human Resource professionals worried about attracting enough qualified talent were suddenly faced with laying off thousands of workers, and possibly eliminating their own positions. The world has not stopped changing as this text goes into