BILL ANALYSIS
ACR 162
Page A
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
ACR 162 (Beall)
As Introduced April 19, 2010
Majority vote
HUMAN SERVICES 6-0
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|Ayes:|Beall, Tom Berryhill, | | |
| |Ammiano, Swanson, Logue, | | |
| |Portantino | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Designates the second week of October 2010, and
annually thereafter, as Disability History Week, and encourages
public and private institutions of higher education, state and
local agencies, nonprofit and community-based organizations, and
private businesses and corporations to observe Disability
History Week by dedicating appropriate classroom instructional
time or by coordinating all-inclusive activities to be conducted
during that week to afford opportunities for students and the
general public to learn more about the disability community and
to celebrate and honor its role in contemporary American
society. Specifically, this resolution makes legislative
findings, including the following:<1>
1)People with disabilities are the largest minority group in the
United States, with a population of 54 million, including 6
million who live in California.
2)More than 678,105 public school students in kindergarten
through grade 12 have some type of disability.
3)During most of American history, people with physical,
psychiatric, sensory, and intellectual disabilities were
subjected to a shameful legacy of blatant discrimination and
mistreatment, including denial of access to medical and
psychological care, forced segregation in institutions,
involuntary sterilization, and denial of equal opportunities
in education, housing, and employment.
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<1> Please see the policy committee analysis for a more
comprehensive summary of the legislative findings.
ACR 162
Page B
4)Most Californians and other Americans are unaware of the
significant contributions that people with disabilities have
made, are continuing to make, for the benefit of the nation
and the State.
5)Even today, long after enactment of state and federal laws
recognizing the civil rights of people with disabilities,
discrimination and exclusion continue.
6)Teaching all students about disability history will promote a
greater understanding between those with and without
disabilities and will lead to increased opportunities for
interaction between students in special education and the
general student population, which will help form new
relationships between students with and without disabilities
to promote a common awareness and understanding of current
disability issues, and help motivate students to follow the
lead of prior disability rights activists.
7)Knowledge about disability history can help promote an
understanding of the importance of providing opportunities to
people with disabilities to develop and apply independent
living skills that are critical to personal success in
society.
8)Universal knowledge about disability history will enhance the
recognition that employing people with disabilities benefits
businesses, employees, and the community.
9)The history of the disability community's civil rights
movement will further expand public awareness about all types
of disabilities, including those that are both apparent and
non-apparent, and a better informed society will benefit all
people with disabilities by helping them to use education as a
tool to reduce misunderstanding that leads to stigmatization,
hate crimes, and discrimination.
10)Every person with a disability is entitled to feel a sense of
pride about the history of the disability community, about
their role in their local community, and about themselves as
individuals with a disability. As people with and without
disabilities learn more about the history of disability, all
Californians will have a closer connection to the disability
community, which will ultimately contribute to a greater
ACR 162
Page C
appreciation of diversity in our state.
FISCAL EFFECT : None
COMMENTS : The author and sponsor note that people with
disabilities--in California and throughout the U.S.--have a long
history of neglect, mistreatment, and exclusion. In the last
part of the 20th century, however, the California Legislature
became recognized as a leader in addressing and correcting those
abuses, and Californians with disabilities played a major
leadership role in establishing the national disability rights
movement.
This resolution is part of a national youth-led movement, and is
the result of a drive launched in California by youth advocates.
It acknowledges the significant gains people with disabilities
have made in overcoming painful discrimination and exclusion
from our communities, and serves as a reminder that the fight
for equal access continues. A growing number of states are
taking the step of promoting understanding and awareness of
disability history and the disability rights movement by
designating a week each year to acknowledge the role and
contributions of people with disabilities in society.
This resolution designates the second week in October of each
year as Disability History Week. It encourages schools, public
and private institutions of higher education, state and local
agencies, and private businesses to observe Disability History
Week by dedicating appropriate classroom instructional time or
by coordinating inclusive activities during the week to provide
opportunities for students and the general public to learn more
about the disability community and to celebrate and honor its
role in contemporary American society.
The timing of this resolution is noteworthy. July 26, 2010
marks the 20th anniversary of the landmark federal civil rights
law, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and October, when
Disability History Week would be observed, is National
Disability Employment Awareness Month.
Analysis Prepared by : Eric Gelber / HUM. S. / (916) 319-2089
FN: 0004312