‘Sensitivity’ tackled in disabilities training

Advocates for the plight of individuals with disabilities are not losing hope that the time will come when people will finally look beyond disabilities and focus only on individuals’ abilities.

Presenters at yesterday’s Sensitivity and Assistive Technology training organized by the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation with aid from the Governor’s Developmental Disabilities Council pressed anew for more “sensitivity” in dealing with and referring to persons with disabilities.

DDC Executive Director Thomas J. Camacho admitted the vision is still not likely to materialize in the near future, citing the stigma associated with individuals with disabilities are very deeply embedded in peoples’ attitudes.

Barely evolving from a time when individuals with disabilities were labeled as “handicapped,” University Affiliated Programs Director John Joyner expressed optimism that the society may be eventually headed toward the age when they will be called “persons with abilities” minus the negative prefix.

“Discrimination is still rampant though there has been small improvements during the last two decades,” said Mr. Camacho.

Individuals with disabilities triumphed over the first disability law, the Rehabilitation Act, which was passed some 20 years ago, giving them hopes for a brighter future, Mr. Camacho explained.

Next came the Architectural Barriers Act, which paved the way for accessible accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

“But this act didn’t have much teeth and required more enforcement,” he said.

The birth of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act which brought about protection of the rights of students with disabilities to obtain education, has contributed to an improved disability consciousness.

The icing on the cake, however, was when the Americans with Disabilities Act became law, according to the DD council chief.

“This provided general protection for individuals with disabilities. This had more teeth in it because it mandated everyone to comply since there are penalties for non-compliance,” he said.

He added that despite the emergence of laws designed to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities, studies still show that national goals to include and integrate them with regular community endeavors are still far from being met.

“We are still at an infant change where we have to constantly educate and remind builders, architects, employers, educators, public officials, private businesses, and the general community about the people first language and proper way to relate to individuals with disabilities,” he said.

OVR and DD Council are hand-in-hand exercising vigilance in raising community awareness toward the achievement of this mission especially during Disability Employment Awareness Month this October.

The agencies will be holding similar training on Tinian today as well as Rota on Friday.