protecting the rights of parents with disabilities
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Protecting the Rights of Parents with
Disabilities
By: Ellie Dunning, Lori Hansen, Ashley Housten, Katherine Hutson, Hailey Johnson, Jamie Kaplan, Jessica Koster, Katy
Lyznicki, Cambey Mikush, & Kara Peters
Introduction Movie– I am Sam
I am Sam Trailer
Parenting is the “last frontier for people with disabilities” in their fight for full inclusion, and is a highly likely arena for prejudice (Kirshbaum & Olkin).
Issue: Attitudinal & Political Barriers
Societal Stigma State Policies There are approximately 8.4 million parents with disabilities = 15% of all U.S. Parents
Issue: Negative Actions and Behaviors
In a national survey by Through the Looking Glass, 13% of parents reported pressure to have an abortion 15% reported attempts to have their child taken away 8% faced barriers interfering with or preventing them from adopting
For parents with mental illnesses, custody loss rates are as high as 70-80%
In the early to middle 1900s, there were laws allowingfor the forced sterilization of 60,000 Americans with disabilities,some as young as 10 y.o.
Issue: Reasons for Continued Limitations...
Inadequate financial resources Environmental barriers Lack of positive role models and familial support Limited social support networks Prevailing stigma and societal views Limited and flawed research and literature Largely unsuccessful implementation of the ADA and Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 State codes that focus on conditions rather than behaviors
Target Population
People with disabilities who are parents or wish to become parents 2000 US Census polled 72.3 million families
28.9% had someone in the family with a disability 18% reported the head of the household as having a disability
General lack of recent, substantive data on the number of parents currently living with a disability
Remain a highly invisible population Flawed assumptions about the low prevalence of parents with
disabilities
Context Parenting is an important and meaningful occupation OTs can help individuals with disabilities participate in
this occupation by: Providing comprehensive person, environment, and activity
assessments Determine which supports and education are needed to
enable the individual to be a successful parent Help the individual obtain the needed supports and
education Society’s focus needs to change from the parent’s
disability to the child’s well-being If proper supports are provided and the child’s well-being is
secure, then it shouldn’t matter that the parent has a disability
Efforts to Address the Issue
Through the Looking Glass Giving parents with disabilities the support they need to be
successful parents 3 year grant awarded in 2008
Funds research in hopes of increasing knowledge about the issue Informs local, regional, and national policies in hopes of a
change Baby-care equipment
Wheelchair lap trays for nursing Baby lifters
National Parent to Parent Network National Parents with Disabilities Blog
OptionsADA of 1990 prohibits discrimination based on disability Title II
People with disabilities are able to benefit from state and local government activities, programs, and services
People with disabilities cannot be discriminated against in areas of their child’s education or social services
Covers services such as Child Protective Services and public education
Title III Non-discrimination requirements limiting exclusion,
segregation and unfair treatment from public accommodations such as public accommodations, private schools, and day care centers
Definition Recommendation Child protection systems
operate on the three central themes when assessing parental rights:1. Child safety 2. Child permanency 3. Child well-being
By outlining these three areas as protections for parents with disabilities, the focus will be on the child’s well-being rather than the stigma of the parent with a disability.
Policy Recommendation
We propose amending the ADA by adding Title VI to specifically outline the rights of parents with disabilities though: 1. Social policy2. Community supports 3. Research funding
to ensure that adults with disabilities will have equal opportunity to be a parent
Social Policy Recommendations Increase public awareness
by creating coalitions of like-minded organizations to pool resources and advocate together for change on a global scale
Increase the resources available to Lobby Conduct research Disseminate information Address framing and
marketing issues Increase financial backing
Community Support Recommendations
Enhancing community supports for parents with disabilities is a critical step in enabling successful parenting Inclusive parenting classes Flexible childcare services Central transportation centers Home support programs Equipment sharing programs
Funding Recommendations
Creation of a coalition to compel the government to increase the scope of funding to meet the needs of parents with disabilities
Local community grants, like the United Way
National Parents with Disabilities and their Families
Implementation: Obstacles
Funding Lack of money Securing initial funds
Allocating Resources
Stigmas: Community and individual
Occupational Therapy Role Person Level: Identify the client’s strengths and limitations related to parenting Environment Level: Identify supports and barriers to successful parenting Advocate Spread awareness Help build alliances within a community Serve as consultants Highlight the existing parents that are loving and supportive parents to their children
Conclusion & Discussion
I Am Sam clip
Thank you for listening!Any Questions or Comments?
ReferencesAmericans with disability act (ADA). Retrieved April 1, 2012 from, http://www.ada.gov/cguide.htm#anchor62335 Barker, L.T., & Maralani, V. (1997). Final report: Challenges and strategies of disabled parents: Findings from a national survey of parents with disabilities. Through the Looking Glass. Oakland, CA: Berkeley Planning Associates. Crawford, N. (2003). Parenting with a disability: The last frontier. American Psychological Association, 34(5), 68. Crosby, B. L. (1996). Policy implementation: The organizational challenge. World Development, 24(9), 1403-1415. Kaplan, K., Kottsieper, P., Scott, J., Salzer, M., & Solomon, P. (2009). Adoption and safe families act; State statutes regarding parents with mental illnesses: A Review and targeted intervention. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 33 (2), 91-94. Kirshbaum, M. (1994). Family context and disability culture reframing: Through the looking glass. The Family Phsychologist, 10 (4), 8-12. Kirshbaum, M. (2007). International Day of Families at United Nations Headquarters: Families and Persons with Disabilities. [Internet] [Berkeley, CA] Through the Looking Glass [cited 2007 June 5]. Available from: http://lookingglass.org/training/2007_trng.php Kirshbaum, M., & Olkin, R. (2002). Parents with physical, systemic, or visual disabilities. Sexuality and Disability, 20 (1). Kundra, L.B., & Alexander, L.B. (2009). Termination of parental rights proceedings: Legal considerations and practical strategies for parents with psychiatric disabilities and the practitioners who serve them. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 33 (2), 142-149. Lightfoot, E. & LaLiberte, T. (2006). The Inclusion of disability as grounds for termination of parental rights in state codes . Research and Training Center on Community Living, Institute on Community Integration: Policy Research Brief, 17(2). Lightfoot, E., LaLiberte, T., & Hill, K. (2007). Guide for Creative Legislation Change: Disability status in termination of parental rights and other custody statutues. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota. Retrieved April 3, 2012, from http://www.cehd.umn.edu/ssw/CASCW/research/Disabilities/tpr/ Nicholson, J., Biebel, K., Hinden, B., Henry, A., & Steir, L. (2001). Critical issues for parents with mental illness and their families. Retrieved April 4, 2012 from http://escholarship.umassmed.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1142&context=psych_pp Paraquad. Paraquad: Discover Ability. Retreived April 4, 2012 from paraquad.org Parents with Disabilities. Berkeley, CA: Center for International Rehabilitation Research Information and Exchange. Preston, P. National Center for Parents with Disabilities: Through the Looking Glass (2010). Prine, B. (2005). Legal issues for parents with disabilities in child protection proceedings. Reilly, P. (1991). The Surgical solution: A History of involuntary sterilization in the United States. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Section 504 and ADA Obligations of Public Schools. Retrieved April 2, 2012 from http://www.nad.org. Through the Looking Glass. National Center for Parents with Disabilities and their Families. Retrieved April 4, 2012 from http://lookingglass.org/services/national-services/71-ncpd/91-national-center-parents-disabilities Through the Looking Glass. Services for Parents with Disabilities. Retrieved April 2, 2012 from http://www.lookingglass.org/services/local-services/services-for-parents-with-disabilities Toms Barker, L., Mizoguchi, N., & Smith, C. (1997). Estimating the cost of living for adults with substantial disabilities. Through the Looking Glass, Berkeley, CA. Technical Report, NIDRR Research and Training Center on Families of Adults with Disabilities. Grant No. H133B30076. Tuleja, C., & DeMoss, A. (1999). Babycare assistive technology. Technology and Disability, 11, 71-78. U.S. Census Bureau. (2005). Disability and American families. Retrieved April 3, 2012, from http://www.census.gov/prod/2005pubs/censr-23.pdf U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, National Center for Health Statistics. National Health Interview Survey, 2000 [Computer file]. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2002. World Health Organization. (2002). Towards a common language for functioning, disability, and health (ICF). Geneva.
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