Discriminations Evaluated, Laws Protecting Citizens

Discriminations Evaluated, Laws Protecting Citizens and Characteristics of People Who Feel Discriminated against.

Discrimination, while illegal, is still the subject of much debate, especially among courtrooms and other official agencies today. This paper focuses on discrimination, and reviews the subject of discrimination, specifically disability discrimination and gender discrimination. Why evaluate discrimination at all? Because despite laws in place to provide citizens with equal rights under the law, certain forms of discrimination, including disability and gender discrimination, are still prevalent today. Higginbotham (1990) confirms that the fight for equal protection and civil rights among citizens, whether disabled or of a specific gender, has remained one of the "greatest battles" our country has faced, one that citizens continue to face from day-to-day (p. 80). While laws are in place to protect citizens from discrimination, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which set the stage for individual protections against prejudice behaviors including disability and gender discrimination (Higginbotham, 1990).

Disability discrimination includes discrimination occurring because of an individual's membership to a protected class. This class includes all individuals that are disabled, as will be defined in this overview. The Disability Discrimination Act of 1995 protects anyone who is disabled from discrimination in employment, education and many other categories. In 2005 the DDA of 1995 was updated allowing for provisions that allow disabled people even more protections under the law, including ensuring rental property owners provide access for individual's that required disability-related adaptations. Other provisions ensure that all public places ensure they build structures to accommodate the needs of individuals that might have physical disabilities. Consider for example public restrooms and handicapped parking places; these are all good examples of good ways the Disability Discrimination Act works to protect people from blatant discrimination.

Our presentation also includes a frank discussion of gender discrimination; this form of discrimination, like disability discrimination, is illegal yet still persists for many reasons, including cultural and individual perspectives. Women are discriminated against most frequently, with evidence of discrimination in employment most prominently highlighted in the news and in literature describing the effects of discrimination.

Characteristics of Those Discriminated Against as this paper shows, the fight for legal rights and equality has persisted for centuries. People who are discriminated may feel various ways; Shilepsky O'Connell for example, reported she felt ongoing and relentless emotional and mental suffering, resulting from gender discrimination, and was subsequently rewarded a large sum to compensate for her suffering. Mental anguish and despair are among the more common characteristics shared by individuals who have been discriminated against.

Individuals with disabilities may experience mental anguish, but also feelings of embarrassment about their ability, or inability to perform tasks that they normally might were they not disabled. These feelings may lead to depression or feelings of worthlessness, guilt or sadness, which are unacceptable in a society that promotes equality and fair treatment under the law. People with disabilities incorporate a large segment of the population, including people with HIV, cancer or physical handicaps resulting from chronic illnesses like multiple sclerosis (DDA DirectGov).

Other characteristics of individuals who feel discriminated against may include fear, as in the case of women who are discriminated against sexually (Gregory, 2003). As part of our research, we note that more women are fighting back, thanks to feminist movements encouraging women to speak out when they feel discriminated against. Any type of discrimination, as evidenced by our research, interferes with a person's ability to lead a high quality life. It may inspire anger, fear, and insecurity or reduce one's capacity to work well and hence affect opportunities for advancement.

Any behaviors that cause an individual to feel unwelcome or unequally treated or protected, whether at work, at a conference, or in public, may lead to feelings of discrimination. Fortunately, thanks to many laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Disability Discrimination Act of 1995, most individuals have recourse when faced with discrimination.