In this Section:

• Discrimination
  • Americans with Disabilities Act
  • Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Other Sections:

• Introduction
• About Amputations
• Dealing With Amputations
• Discrimination
• Famous Amputees
• Personal Accounts
• Interactive

Discrimination

According to Dictionary.com, discrimination is:

1. an act or instance of discriminating.

2. treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit: racial and religious intolerance and discrimination.

According to this definition, if someone treats another person differently because of a disability, this is discrimination. Many people discriminate against those who are disabled. Many people do not give disabled people the same opportunities as others. Through enacted laws, the disabled have gained more freedoms and rights. Acts such as the “Rehabilitation Act of 1973,” the “Americans With Disabilities Act,” and others help to achieve a better quality of life for all.