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Disability Factorids Did you know: In 1984 Gallaudet University, a university for the blind, football quarterback Paul Hubbard created the “huddle” to prevent the opposing team from seeing the signs the Gallaudet team used to communicate their next play to their teammates. Over 51 million Americans - 18% of the population - are classified as disabled. The diagnosis of autism is four times more prevalent in males than females. Baseball hand signals used by umpires to signify balls, strikes, out and safe originate from Outfielder William Hoy’s request to umpires that they use sign language because he was deaf and could not hear the umpires’ verbal calls. Visually impaired individuals competed for the 1st time at the 1976 Paralympics in Toronto. In 1776, Stephen Hopkins referred to his Cerebral Palsy when he signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence saying, “My hands trembles, but myheart does not.” One in four people will be affected by mentally health in the course of their life. Florida, the fourth most populous state, ranks third in the number of persons with disabilities. This number is estimated at 2.2 million people with disabilities The typewriter was invented as a private writing device for a blind member of a royal family. |
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2009 Disability History and Awareness Flyer |
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On June 13, 2008, Governor Charlie Crist signed Senate Bill 856, commonly referred to as The Disability and History Awareness Bill. In honor of Disability History and Awareness weeks October 1-15, 2009, here are some facts on Disability in America today. - Senate Bill 856 was promoted by the Florida Youth Council. The members of the FYC worked hard and had set backs, but were successful during their second year of trying to pass the Disability History and Awareness Legislation
- Florida was the fifth state to pass similar legislation. The first was West Virginia.
- In 1990, Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Act was founded on four principles: inclusion, full participation, economic self-sufficiency, and equality of opportunity for all people with disabilities.
- The Americans with Disabilities Act is a civil rights law.
- According to the 2000 United States Census there are 3,274,566 people with disabilities living in the State of Florida.
- According to the Florida Department of Education, in October 2008, there were a total of 351,179 K-12 students with disabilities being served in Florida.
- Disability History and Awareness weeks in Florida will lead to better treatment for people with disabilities in society, especially for youth in school, increased attention to preventing the bullying or harassment of students with disabilities, students becoming more likely to hire, retain, and promote people with disabilities as employees once they become adults, increased self-esteem and pride among persons with disabilities, resulting in more of them going to college, entering the workforce, and contributing to their communities and a commitment to the full inclusion of all individuals with disabilities in society.
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For the past six months, the Florida Youth Council has been busy at work on an important project designed to assist youth in taking charge of their transition on their own terms. The FYC is pleased to announce that the end product of that work is now complete: Navigating Your IEP: Are you on the right track towards you future? Navigating Your IEP is an IEP guide written for youth, by youth. It provides helpful advice on how a student can go from being a passive observer in their IEP meeting, to leading the discussion and taking charge of their educational and life plans in a meaningful way. We hope that you will review this guide, and that it helps you during the IEP Process and in planning your own future. |
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Disability History and Awareness |
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The Florida Youth Council has been working for the rights of the disability community of Florida by having the disability history and awareness bill passed. This will be taught in public school grades K-12 during the first two weeks of October. We see this is a way to encourage people of all various disabilities to educate the non-disabled students that people with disabilities are equal as everyone else. We want to teach the kindergartners which are the future employers of people with disabilities that we are equals today. This will open the way for future jobs for people with disabilities. This bill will touch and help many future generations to come. I am happy to say that Governor Charlie Crist signed the Disability and History Awareness Bill on June 13, 2008 |
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Disability History and Awareness