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Students with disabilities are a growing population in higher education (National Center for Education Statistics, 2009). Providing accommodations for students with disabilities can raise ethical and social justice questions and pose challenges for social work faculty, administrators, and field instructors. Social work educators must balance the legal mandates for nondiscrimination and reasonable accommodation against ethical obligations around protection of clients and preparation for practice. This article presents case examples in the context of legal analysis to help social work educators make difficult decisions about student academic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article examines the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 20 years after its passage. It provides an overview of the history and major components of the ADA, examines who has disabilities and how they are faring, and traces how the ADA has evolved through court cases that have limited its scope. In addition, the article investigates abuse of the ADA, its economic impact, and the problems in defining a disability. Although the ADA is continuing to evolve, it requires significant change to live up to its magnificent promise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Having diabetes can have profound implications for individuals in the workplace. Due to the increasing number of people who are diagnosed with this disease and the often complex treatment it requires, this issue continues to pose challenges for not only employees with this illness, but also for their employers. The 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was influential in promoting accommodations for and nondiscrimination against people with diabetes in the workplace. This article discusses 3 of the elements that can make it difficult for persons with diabetes to file a successful claim under the ADA. These important elements include employee disability status, the ability to perform essential job functions, and direct threat concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A momentous piece of legislation, the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 provided for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities and more significantly is aimed toward improving their employment opportunities. There is, however, evidence that the ADA implementation has not moved fast enough in increasing employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. This article reviews the literature on disability and employment barriers, federal statutes, societal attitudes and biases, and human relations misconceptions associated with disabilities. It discusses social work roles, advocacy for social justice, implications for rehabilitation counselors, and issues related to disabilities and employment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A seldom-discussed element of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 provides a degree of employment protection to the relatives and close associates of persons with disabilities, if these relatives or associates have been subject to adverse employment action because of this relationship. This paper describes this “third-party discrimination,” and analyzes important court cases related to it. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) protects students with disabilities from discrimination by academic and professional programs in higher education. A student with a disability cannot be denied admission to an educational program because of his or her disability if the student is otherwise qualified. This means that a student with a disability who is qualified for an academic or professional educational program cannot be denied admission to a program based solely on the student's disability. This educational requirement mandated by the ADA applies to all educational fields including social work education. The purpose of this study was to explore how social work programs are dealing with these requirements in their admission and academic accomodation procedures. Twelve social work programs located in the mid-western United States participated in the study. Representatives of each of these programs were given an in-depth interview focusing on their admissions process, academic accomodations, and general topics related to social work education and disabilities. All programs taking part in the research were accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The CSWE is the national accreditation body for social work education within the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The debate continues to rage in the medical community and amongst policy makers. This debate centers on a new disease mechanism commonly known as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS). Magill and Suruda (1998) grouped the theories of etiology of MCS into four broad categories: physical, stress, misdiagnosis, and illness belief. A new name for this illness has recently been advanced as well, toxininduced loss of tolerance (TILT). Problems with chemical sensitivity are especially troubling for workers and their employers. Employees seeking relief under the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) are requesting accommodations based on their reactions to chemicals. Employers are beset with claims for accommodations in the workplace, disability claims, and worker's compensation claims. Courts are trying to make sense of chemical sensitivity with respect to accommodations in the workplace. Court decisions regarding MCS issues are varied and of tentimes highly controversial. Primary social problems and mental health issues associated with chemical sensitivities are economic costs and loss of enjoyment of life by MCS sufferers. Economic costs are spread throughout the system; however, their major manifestations are lost worker production, increased demands on services, and the long-term costs associated with supporting a growing disabled subset of the population comprised of chemically injured workers. Social and mental health costs are seen in escalating cases of depression, divorces, behavioral acting out, isolation, anxiety attacks, and chronic medical problems. Social workers are particularly well suited to advocate for accommodations in the workplace and for social policy change on behalf of those suffering from chemical sensitivity. Their training in systems and ecosystems theory makes them well aware of the importance of the environment on the individual. That training includes knowledge of utilizing strengths based approach to problem solving, and clinical training in mental health, which leads to empowerment for the client. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This research found a high incidence of violence among homeless women with emotional disabilities. The study reports that 82 percent of the homeless women with emotional disabilities had a history of violence in their lives. The most common form of violence was physical; the least common was sexual abuse. The practice and policy implications for these findings are discussed. It is suggested that the Olmstead v. L. C. (1998) ruling under the Americans With Disabilities Act might force states to provide better services to homeless women with a history of violence and emotional disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This summary of United States Supreme Court decisions offers social workers and other human services professionals information on the impact that these decisions have on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Each court decision is noted followed by the question presented, the holding, and the implication of the decision. The reader will observe that a number of these decisions have restricted the impact of the ADA. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is the federal law upon which the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) is built. Both laws are designed to prevent discrimination against students with disabilities. This commentary offers a comparison of section 504 with the ADA. An analysis of the case law under Section 504 is also presented; this analysis provides guidelines that universities and colleges will have to follow under the ADA. The implications of the ADA are offered for social work programs in the areas of admission and retention of students with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The author concludes that Goffman's description of the difficulties involved in identity management for persons with disabilities are as true now as when Stigma was first written. However, Goffman was unaware of the interaction between disability and feminism when he wrote Stigma in 1963. Women with disabilities are subject to additional disadvantages in ways that many professionals may not recognize. Suggestions are offered for human services professionals when working with women who have disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) offer important legal protections for school age children. This commentary outlines those protections for special needs children in both public and private schools. Social workers need to be aware of the rights children with disabilities have under each law. This information is particularly helpful for those practitioners who wish to advocate for the educational needs of children with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

ABSTRACT. Persons with disabilities are a distinct and insular minority group within the United States. Given the fact that social workers offer critical social services to this group, it is important for social work programs to offer meaningful curriculum content on persons with disabilities. This article presents key issues that social work educators should find useful for teaching about persons with disabilities. Specifically, a discussion is offered on the disability civil rights movement, the culture of disability, models for defining disability, knowledge areas on disability issues, teaching tasks and strategies for focusing on persons with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the decade since initial implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act in the United States, many questions have arisen pertaining to the rights of employers and employees in light of the employment of and services that must be provided to persons with disabilities. One of the most controversial aspects of the legislation is the issue of direct threat. This relates to the concern that workers or clients with disabilities may be a threat to others due to their condition. Integral to this fear is the employer's ability to protect persons within the work environment from such a threat, while remaining in compliance with the ADA. This paper considers the issue of direct threat and its pertinence to the social work profession, and provides recommendations for employers and supervisors in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) is designed to protect persons with disabilities from discrimination in nearly every aspect of American life. This commentary focuses on a number of recent United States Supreme Court decisions that help to clarify the intent of the ADA. It is critical for social workers to be aware of these recent court rulings because they affect social work practice and have important policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]