The Americans with Disabilities Act, which started in 1990, is probably one of the most important acts for Neurodivergent individuals. It protects them from discrimination in all areas of life, including schools, jobs, and other public places such as parks, restaurants, and transportation. So why is it important?
In the past, we didn’t have the act, and it probably was horrible for people who couldn’t get around. Things possibly had wheelchair accessibility, but people who got hurt in accidents or even past wars, and are old veterans, didn’t get the same treatment as they do today.
But today, it helps neurodivergent individuals in getting jobs; they can’t say things like “oh, you are autistic? We can’t hire you,” because an autistic person who is qualified has the same rights as anyone else. They can’t tell a person who is stimming and making some noises that could be disrupting, on a bus, and kick them off, unless they become verbally or physically aggressive. They can’t tell a parent who has a child with ADHD to tell their kid to calm down at a park.
A public place, like a theater or even just a grocery store, has to provide places for wheelchairs, such as parking, motorized carts, or wheelchair spots in theaters, so those individuals can do these things without difficulties. Everyone should have the same rights, no matter what their disability is.
As someone with autism and adhd and other problems, I am glad I can get the help I need, from glasses to procedures to surgeries, it helps me so much. I never had help in school as a child because I was not diagnosed till my adult life, but I know I would have done much better if I had been.
Life can be hard on anyone, even without disabilities, and discrimination is everywhere, and even with this act, it can fall through the cracks, and someone will face discrimination, whether they are in a wheelchair, wear glasses, or like to spin in circles in public, some people will always choose to discriminate.
