Comments on: How Stigma Undermines Good Policies http://disabledfeminists.com/2010/02/17/how-stigma-undermines-good-policies/ FWD (feminists with disabilities) for a way forward Thu, 30 Dec 2010 17:29:21 +0000 hourly 1 By: Jesse the K http://disabledfeminists.com/2010/02/17/how-stigma-undermines-good-policies/#comment-8018 Jesse the K Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:58:14 +0000 http://disabledfeminists.com/?p=2868#comment-8018 Another vivid example was the U.S. Supreme Court's unwillingness to support the Americans with Disabilities Act for the first two decades after its passage. A majority of justices believed that it was impossible for someone to be both disabled and employable. Nobody who brought an employment suit under the ADA prevailed, because if they have a job, they were by definition not covered under the ADA, since they couldn't be employed and disabled! The official policy—the thousands of pages of supporting history, the laws, and their implementing regulations—were not enough for Supreme Court. Finally, Congress passed the <a href="http://jesse-the-k.dreamwidth.org/31720.html" rel="nofollow">ADA Amendments Act</a> to underline, "No, really we meant it the first time." I hope this makes the difference: the Supreme Court has not yet taken a case under this new interpretation. Another vivid example was the U.S. Supreme Court’s unwillingness to support the Americans with Disabilities Act for the first two decades after its passage. A majority of justices believed that it was impossible for someone to be both disabled and employable. Nobody who brought an employment suit under the ADA prevailed, because if they have a job, they were by definition not covered under the ADA, since they couldn’t be employed and disabled!

The official policy—the thousands of pages of supporting history, the laws, and their implementing regulations—were not enough for Supreme Court. Finally, Congress passed the ADA Amendments Act to underline, “No, really we meant it the first time.” I hope this makes the difference: the Supreme Court has not yet taken a case under this new interpretation.

]]> By: hsofia http://disabledfeminists.com/2010/02/17/how-stigma-undermines-good-policies/#comment-7977 hsofia Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:46:25 +0000 http://disabledfeminists.com/?p=2868#comment-7977 Thank you, thank you, thank you. I have seen so many examples of this in the corporate world. I think 80% of policy meetings I attended had to to do with how to get people to embrace the spirit of the policy in addition to the letter of the policy. It seems to always come down to getting "buy-in" from "stakeholders" and gatekeepers (aka winning over hearts and minds). Because the way people are, it seems, is if you give them some task or instruction that has no meaning to them (or worse, that they disagree with), it will be obvious in the outcome. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I have seen so many examples of this in the corporate world. I think 80% of policy meetings I attended had to to do with how to get people to embrace the spirit of the policy in addition to the letter of the policy. It seems to always come down to getting “buy-in” from “stakeholders” and gatekeepers (aka winning over hearts and minds). Because the way people are, it seems, is if you give them some task or instruction that has no meaning to them (or worse, that they disagree with), it will be obvious in the outcome.

]]> By: Vassilissa http://disabledfeminists.com/2010/02/17/how-stigma-undermines-good-policies/#comment-7969 Vassilissa Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:06:08 +0000 http://disabledfeminists.com/?p=2868#comment-7969 This is exactly how people in Centrelink and the Work for the Dole programs in Australia ask you to read the anti-discrimination and work safety information: they hand it to you along with a form which they ask you to sign without waiting for you to read the pamphlets. Which is an additional problem for me because I have OCD and get very anxious about signing things I haven't read. This is exactly how people in Centrelink and the Work for the Dole programs in Australia ask you to read the anti-discrimination and work safety information: they hand it to you along with a form which they ask you to sign without waiting for you to read the pamphlets. Which is an additional problem for me because I have OCD and get very anxious about signing things I haven’t read.

]]> By: Ergo http://disabledfeminists.com/2010/02/17/how-stigma-undermines-good-policies/#comment-7956 Ergo Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:31:53 +0000 http://disabledfeminists.com/?p=2868#comment-7956 Proper scripting and education for office employees dealing with this hypothetical pamphlet and the new employees it affects is just as important as the pamphlet itself. Leaving these things out renders the plan inadequate and incomplete. Proper scripting and education for office employees dealing with this hypothetical pamphlet and the new employees it affects is just as important as the pamphlet itself. Leaving these things out renders the plan inadequate and incomplete.

]]> By: Sarah http://disabledfeminists.com/2010/02/17/how-stigma-undermines-good-policies/#comment-7955 Sarah Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:46:01 +0000 http://disabledfeminists.com/?p=2868#comment-7955 Really good post about this. TSA ableism is a particular pet peeve of mine, and the story about Ryan fills me with rage. Really good post about this.

TSA ableism is a particular pet peeve of mine, and the story about Ryan fills me with rage.

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