Supporting Inclusive and Accessible Political Processes

ElectionAccess.org is an online resource center that offers information supporting and encouraging political participation by people with disabilities. Founded in 1998 and renovated in 2015, it is one of the world’s first and only free resources dedicated to disability rights and political participation. There are many different types of materials available on ElectionAccess.org, including: Examples of… Continue reading Supporting Inclusive and Accessible Political Processes

Handbooks for Parliamentarians on Human Rights Treaties

Often, protecting the human rights of people with disabilities may require using multiple human rights treaties and addressing many different areas within human rights. For example, protecting the human rights of refugees with disabilities may require using both the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and also treaties meant to protect refugees… Continue reading Handbooks for Parliamentarians on Human Rights Treaties

Best Practices: Making Education Transitions Inclusive

The report Education Transition for Children with Disabilities in Armenia by an Armenian non-governmental organization (Bridge of Hope) examines the importance of supporting children, particularly children with disabilities, during education transition. Children experience big transitions when they move from home or pre-school to primary school; primary school to secondary school; or secondary school to tertiary education (e.g.… Continue reading Best Practices: Making Education Transitions Inclusive

Economic Support in the U.S.

Federal economic support and benefit laws based on disability vary from monetary social security disability income and Medicare healthcare benefits (both of which require individuals to initially qualify by paying into the system for many years through employment wage deductions), to supplemental security income and Medicaid healthcare benefits that are primarily applied for on the… Continue reading Economic Support in the U.S.

U.S. Housing Laws

There are four key disability nondiscrimination laws that apply to the subject of accessible housing. Two of these laws do not apply only to housing and are covered separately: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 applies to housing that is built with federal financial assistance or federal funds The Americans with Disabilities Act of… Continue reading U.S. Housing Laws

U.S. Air Carrier Access Act

The Air Carrier Access Act of 1986 (ACAA) prohibits discrimination in air transportation by domestic and foreign air carriers against qualified individuals with physical or mental impairments. It applies only to air carriers that provide regularly scheduled services for hire to the public. The ACAA establishes standards concerning a wide range of issues including boarding… Continue reading U.S. Air Carrier Access Act

U.S. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), formerly called the Education for all Handicapped Children Act of 1975, requires public schools to make available to all eligible children with disabilities a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment appropriate to the child’s education needs. Under the law, State and local education agencies are… Continue reading U.S. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a civil rights law that critically extended Section 504’s disability nondiscrimination mandate to the private sector. The ADA reaches such entities as private employers (with 15 or more employees), retailers, service establishments, transportation companies, and telecommunication companies, regardless of whether they receive federal financial assistance. The law is… Continue reading Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)