Problem

Americans with disabilities make up one of our largest minorities. More than 25% live in poverty and about 20% have gone to college. Seventy-five percent are unemployed. Such economic and social disenfranchisement is not an inevitable consequence of the physical and mental limitations imposed by disability; it is the result of society's historic response to those limitations: lack of accessibility in the built environment and policies that encourage or even require exclusion, segregation, and institutionalization.

The Gift

Armed with knowledge about their rights under laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals can speak out effectively against being excluded or treated unfairly because they have a disability, and ultimately participate fully and equally in their communities. For someone with a disability, your gift can change the course of their life. Your contribution will provide a day of training on disability civil rights laws that will equip a person with a disability with the skills and information they need to protect their rights in the workplace and in school, and ensure they can gain access to businesses, transportation, health care, recreation, and services provided by public agencies.