This article discusses the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) which President George W. Bush officially signed in 2008. The law prohibits employers from making adverse employment decisions based on a person's genetic information, including family health history. It also forbids insurance companies from discriminating against…

Newborn screening is a test done on every child born in the US shortly after birth to detect diseases where, if not diagnosed and treated in the newborn period, the child will suffer significant trauma, disability or die. A few drops of blood from each baby's heel is put on a card and sent to the state's public health lab for testing. Most states…

After the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, thousands of families across the U.S. breathed a sigh of relief at the White House's reassurance: "Reform will eliminate health insurance discrimination against people with disabilities." However, the actual language of the law and the proposed implementation timeline of the…

This paper describes the four Titles in the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination in the areas of employment, public services, public accommodations and services operated by private entities, and telecommunications. (JDD)

The author explains the provisions of Title V of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-112) which guarantees the civil rights of people with disabilities. (SBH)

The parent of a trainable mentally handicapped 16-year-old boy recounts experiences of rejection from the neighborhood, the family, the school, physicians, and the church. (DB)

This article summarizes provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act in light of how they may affect children. It specifically addresses requirements for reasonable accommodations by employers and increased accessibility to public services. A "fact sheet" insert lists relevant phone numbers (enforcement agencies and information…

It is important that educators, parents, and normal children learn about handicapping conditions if myths about the disabled are to be dispelled. (GW)

The practice of requiring that children with disabilities undergo public medical examinations attended by numerous professional and student personnel is challenged. These discriminatory practices are attributed to uninformed attitudes of members of the medical establishment, and the implications for patients' quality of life are noted. (JDD)