Disability Law Commons^™

Congress's Empty Promises: The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act In The Midst Of Education Crisis, Sarah Jana

University of Cincinnati Law Review

No abstract provided.

Are We Closing The Gap? Reforms To Legal Capacity In Latin America In Light Of The Convention On The Rights Of Persons With Disabilities, Pablo Marshall, Paula Vasquez, Violeta Puran, Loreto Godoy --Research Assistant

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Article examines the the reforms developed in Latin America over the last decade that have adapted domestic legislation regarding legal capacity toward the support model of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Our examination of the reforms in Costa Rica, Argentina, Peru, and Colombia focuses on the adoption process of the reforms, the main characteristics of the implemented support model, some transitional and implementation aspects of the reforms, and a critical examination of their relationship to the CRPD. Finally, this Article explores some weaknesses related to the reforms' implementation processes.

Evolving Beyond Reasonable Accommodations Towards "Off-Shelf Accessible" Workplaces And Campuses, Karla Gilbride

American University Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law

One of the hallmarks of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), which prohibits discrimination in the workplace on the basis of disability, is that it defines “discrimination” to include “not making reasonable accommodations to the known mental or physical limitations of an otherwise qualified individual with a disability.” This concept of reasonable accommodation was seen as innovative in two ways. It recognized that employers must sometimes take affirmative steps or make adaptations to afford individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to apply for and perform jobs. And it identified the failure to take such affirmative steps as a type of …

An Attempt To Bring Modern Workplace Realities To The Social Security Disability Adjudication System, Robert E. Rains

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

No abstract provided.

How To Compromise On Saving The Most Lives: A Commentary On Hellman And Nicholson, “Rationing And Disability”, David Wasserman

Washington and Lee Law Review Online

Deborah Hellman and Kate Nicholson’s “Rationing Disability” is a skillfully integrated analysis of the legal and ethical challenges of avoiding disability discrimination in setting priorities for the allocation of scarce lifesaving resources. Their analysis goes beyond the important but narrow question of what it means to wrongfully discriminate against people with disabilities in this context to the broader question of how to find a principled compromise between the consequentialist goals of public health and the potentially conflicting public value of “equal concern and respect” for each person. I will focus on this broader issue.

I agree with much …

Rationing And Disability: The Civil Rights And Wrongs Of State Triage Protocols, Deborah Hellman, Kate M. Nicholson

Washington and Lee Law Review

The COVID-19 pandemic and the unprecedented natural disasters of 2020 remind us of the importance of emergency preparedness. This Article contributes to our legal and ethical readiness by examining state “Crisis Standards of Care,” which are the standards that determine how medical resources are allocated in times of scarcity. The Article identifies a flaw in the policy choice at the heart of the standards: the standards focus on saving as many lives as possible but, in so doing, will predictably disadvantage the ability of people with disabilities and racial minorities to access life-saving care.

To date, scholarly attention has focused …

One-Shotters Or Have-Nots Should Come Out Ahead In The District Of Columbia’S Private Sector Workers’ Compensation System, But Do They?, Melissa Lin Jones

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

In recognition of the humanitarian purpose of the District of Columbia Workers’ Compensation Act of 1979, D.C. Code as amended, §32-1501 et seq. and the legislative policy favoring awards even in arguable cases, a claimant is entitled to a presumption of compensability (“Presumption”) when applying for workers’ compensation benefits. By establishing a causal connection between the injured worker’s disability and a work-related event, the Presumption enables a claimant to establish entitlement to benefits more easily; however, an analysis of decisions issued by the Compensation Review Board from 2005 – 2019 reveals the Presumption frequently is misapplied. Moreover, contrary to Marc …

Why Proving A Work-Related, Psychological Injury Claim Stresses You Out, Melissa Lin Jones

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

In recognition of the humanitarian purpose of the District of Columbia Workers’ Compensation Act of 1979, D.C. Code as amended, §32-1501 et seq. and the legislative policy favoring awards even in arguable cases, a claimant is entitled to a presumption of compensability (“Presumption”) when applying for workers’ compensation benefits. By establishing a causal connection between the injured worker’s disability and a work-related event, the Presumption enables a claimant to establish entitlement to benefits more easily; however, misapplication of the Presumption makes it more difficult for claimants to prove work-related psychological injuries because they must satisfy additional requirements (including a credibility …

The Deliberate Indifference Standard: A Broken Promise To Protect And Serve The Mentally Ill, Katherine R. Carroll

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.

Telehealth And Telework Accessibility In A Pandemic-Induced Virtual World, Blake Reid, Christian Vogler, Zainab Alkebsi

University of Colorado Law Review Forum

This short essay explores one dimension of disability law’s COVID-related “frailty”: how the pandemic has undermined equal access to employment and healthcare for Americans who are deaf or hard of hearing as healthcare and employment migrate toward telehealth and telework activities. This essay’s authors—a clinical law professor; a computer scientist whose research focuses on accessible technology; and a deaf policy attorney for the nation’s premier civil rights organization of, by, and for deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States—have collaborated over the past months on detailed advocacy documents aimed at helping deaf and hard of hearing patients …

Sutton V. United Airlines, Inc.: The Supreme Court "Substantially Limits" The Americans With Disabilities Act, Stephanie Beige

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.

Neuroscience And Health Law: An Integrative Approach, Stacey A. Tovino J.D., Ph.D.

Akron Law Review

Neuroscience is one of the fastest growing scientific fields in terms of the numbers of scientists and the knowledge being gained. In recent years, both the scope of neuroscience and the methodologies employed by neuroscientists have broadly expanded, from biochemical and genetic analysis of individual nerve cells and their molecular constituents, to the imaging of brain structure and function. Perhaps the most significant recent neuroscientific achievement is the ability of neuroimaging technologies, including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), to image brain function. Clinicians and scientists use fMRI not only to map sensory, motor, and cognitive function, but also to study …

Re-Evaluating The Role Of Companion Animals In The Era Of The Aging Boomer, Rebecca J. Huss

Akron Law Review

This Article is divided into four substantive parts. Part II considers the role of pets in the United States and the impact of companion animals in the lives of seniors. Part III analyzes issues that the elderly may face in keeping or interacting with companion animals in their residences. Part IV analyzes federal laws that ensure that persons with disabilities using service and assistance animals will have access to public accommodations and housing. Part V of this Article considers risks and ethical issues involved with having animals in the lives of the elderly.

Tennessee V. Lane: Winning The Battle, Losing The War?, Michael Forearm, Ossai Miazad

Tennessee Journal of Law and Policy

Mr. Foreman serves as deputy director for legal programs at the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights under Law. He is a frequent speaker on civil rights issues and has served as counsel of record for the Lawyer's Committee in several cases before the Supreme Court.

The Policy Implications, Elizabeth Mccallum

Tennessee Journal of Law and Policy

Elizabeth McCallum is a partner at Howrey, Simon, Arnold & White, LLP, in Washington, D.C.

Tennessee's Response To The Supreme Court's Decision, Paul G. Summers, Elizabeth Martin

Tennessee Journal of Law and Policy

Paul G. Summers is the Tennessee Attorney General & Reporter. Elizabeth Martin is an Assistant Tennessee Attorney General.

Tennessee's Legal Strategy, Michael Moore

Tennessee Journal of Law and Policy

Michael Moore is the Tennessee Solicitor General.

A Group Home Exclusively For Married Couples With Developmental Disabilities: A Natural Next-Step, Marissa Debellis

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.

Mr. Peanut Goes To Court: Accomodating An Individuals Peanut Allergy In Schools And Day Care Centers Under The Americans Wtih Disabilities Act, Marie Plicka

Journal of Law and Health

This article explores the ADA and the interpretive case law, as it pertains to schools and day care centers, in hopes of better understanding the purpose of the statute as well as to predict its future. Part II of this article provides a brie explanation of peanut allergies. Part III contains an overview of Title II and Title III of the ADA and their interpretive regulations. Part IV analyzes whether an individual asserting a Title II claim under the ADA, where the relief sought is also available under the Individual with Disabilities Education Act before asserting his or her ADA …

Responsibilities Of Employers Toward Mentally Disabled Persons Under The Americans With Disabilities Act, Karin Mika, Denise Wimbiscus

Journal of Law and Health

This article will discuss the standards of the ADA with respect to accommodating mental illness in the workplace. It will argue the ADA definitions are not precise enough to apprising employers of what are their obligations regarding mentally ill persons in the workplace. It will additionally make suggestions for revising the statute and regulations to achieve this goal. In reaching its conclusion, this article will discuss popular conceptions about mental illness, and the current statutory framework of the ADA. Representative case law will be considered within the context of these topics. The article will ultimately suggest that fairness to both …

The Ada And Persons With Mental Disabilities: Can Sanist Attitudes Be Undone, Michael L. Perlin

Journal of Law and Health

This leads to my thesis. What I call "sanist" attitudes and "pretextual" judicial and legislative reactions dominate social and legal discourse about mentally ill persons (and those so perceived). These attitudes affect and infect interpersonal relationships, social, cultural and political actions, judicial decisions, legislative enactments, scholarly writings, administrative rulings, and litigation strategies. They largely operate on an unconscious (and often invisible) level, and are frequently found in the writings and public pronouncements of otherwise "liberal" or "progressive" individuals. They are also rationalized through the non-reflective use of a false kind of "ordinary common sense" (OCS) and through the use of …

And Equal Participation For All...The Americans With Disabilities Act In The Courtroom, Keri K. Gould

Journal of Law and Health

This article hopes to encourage the use of the ADA as a mechanism to increase courtroom accessibility to people with disabilities. The article proceeds in the following manner. Initially, I outline the procedural history and design of the Act. Then, in Part III, I discuss how the ADA seeks to ensure the increased participation of persons with disabilities in courtroom practices and procedures. In Part IV, I discuss the Act's Title II, Public Services, which controls access to and accommodations by the state courts. Next, I trace the discrimination frequently faced by persons with disabilities, which is illustrated by a …

The Ada As A Tool For Advocacy: A Strategy For Fighting Employment Discrimination Against People With Disabilities, Ellen M. Saideman

Journal of Law and Health

There are essentially three different theories that are used to prove discrimination against people with disabilities: disparate treatment- that a person has been treated differently because of membership in a protected class - may be proved by direct evidence of discrimination or by inference. Today, employers are often open about discriminating against people with disabilities. They frequently know little about disabilities and make their decisions based on stereotypes rather than on individualized assessments. Further, medical examinations and inquiries are required by the ADA to be conducted after a job has been offered thereby enabling job applicants to determine that their …

Designing Reasonable Accomodations Through Co-Worker Participation: Therapeutic Jurisprudence And The Confidentiality Provision Of The Americans With Disabilities Act, Rose A. Daly-Rooney

Journal of Law and Health

The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, public accommodations, transportation, communication, and services provided by state and local government. Title I of the ADA addresses employment discrimination against people with disabilities. Among other things, the ADA prohibits an employer from rejecting an applicant solely because of the need to provide that applicant with a reasonable accommodation. At the same time, the ADA requires that an employer maintain confidentiality about the applicant or employee's medical condition or medical history obtained during acceptable inquiries, including those inquiries needed to design appropriate accommodations.

Effectively Implementing Title 1 Of The Americans With Disabilities Act For Mentally Disabled Persons: A Therapeutic Jurisprudence Analysis, Deborah A. Dorfman

Journal of Law and Health

This article discusses the potential impact that Title I has on the lives of individuals with mental disabilities and methods by which it can be most effectively implemented and enforced. The following section discusses the potential impact that Title I can have on the lives of the mentally disabled, specifically in the areas of independent living and quality of life. Part III will examine problems enforcing Title I which interfere with the ability of the mentally disabled to fully benefit from the statute. The second half of this article discusses how to best implement and enforce Title I from a …

Does Ohio Provide Autistic Children A Free Appropriate Public Education, Sheila M. Mccarthy

Journal of Law and Health

Autistic children are handicapped children within the meaning of the EAHCS, therefore, they are entitled to receive "free appropriate public education." This Note will discuss whether Ohio currently provides autistic children a "free appropriate public education" in accordance with the EAHCA. Ohio's parallel statute, the State Education of Handicapped Act (State Act), is compared to similar legislation currently existing in various other states throughout the United States. Areas in the State Act needing clarification are scrutinized and stutory revisions are recommended. This Note concludes that Ohio should adopt additional safeguards to ensure that autistic children receive a "free appropriate public …