Having a disability means that a person is not able to do something that other people of their age and community can do because of something about their body. For example someone who has asthma may not be able to play a full game of basketball, or someone who has a vision problem cannot read the magazines that her friends are reading. Someone can have a disability because of something to do with their legs or arms, or brain, or ears, or any other part of their body. Having a disability can mean extra challenges and sometimes difficulties to overcome, but people who have a disability can also have as many joys and achievements like other people.Your Rights. Many countries have special laws to protect people with a disability and to make sure that they can take part in the life of the community as equal members of society. Check what the law is where you live to see what it can do for you.
For example The Australian Disability Discrimination Act was based on the Disabilities Act that was developed in the USA in 1990. To develop that Act, many people who had disabilities got together and told their stories of what it was like to have a disability and how they were treated unfairly because of their disability. This was very new, because up until then most decisions about what people with a disability 'needed' were made by 'experts' or parents. It was very different for people with disabilities to be listened to.
Being treated unfairly is called discrimination. If you have a disability and feel that you are being treated unfairly, it could be discrimination.
If you have a disability your rights include:
the right be respected, to be treated as a human being to have the same basic rights as other members of the community to have opportunities to learn and grow to your potential (what you are able to be) to have a reasonable quality of life similar to other people in the community to be involved in making decisions that affect your life to receive support when needed but not to the extent that it takes away someone else's freedom a right to complain about services.
Living with your family Sometimes family members, especially parents, try (or feel they need to) make all the decisions for a person with a disability. You may feel that your parents are over-protective and worry too much when you want to try something new. They may worry that if you try something new, there may be a risk for you, you might get hurt, or someone may treat you badly.
People with disabilities have the right to be involved in decisions that will affect their lives, but as with any young people, it takes time for young people and their parents to work out who decides what. Before they hand over this responsibility you may have to show them that you are able to take care of yourself by giving things a go.
Family members may think that they are helping you by doing things for you that you think you could do by yourself. Most young people want very much to be independent, but often people who have a disability find that others will not let them be independent. This is usually because people really care about you, and want to help, but sometimes this will get really annoying. Let them know you appreciate what they're trying to do but that you want to do certain things yourself. Make a plan with your parents for the things you can gradually take over for yourself. If parents or family don't seem to listen try talking to a friend or teacher or relative or carer who may be able to talk to your parents.
Your physical health People who have a disability often find that people only seem to think about what they cannot do or their 'problem', rather than what they can do. If you have a disability you still need to do all of the things that other people do to keep themselves as healthy as they can be. This includes exercise, eating well, resting and having fun!
School and work. Being healthy and being a part of your community also includes having something meaningful to do, such as school work or a job. People with disabilities have a right to schooling and work, and there are often funds available to ensure that this can happen. If you feel that you, or someone with a disability is being treated unfairly because of the health problem, this may be discrimination. Special interest groups (such as a disability support group), or government agencies may be able to help you to work out how best to tackle the difficulty.
Information for Australia. The Disability Discrimination Act (Australia) makes disability discrimination against the law in the following areas:
employment education access to premises used by the public provision of goods, services and facilities accommodation buying land clubs and associations sport administration of Commonwealth government laws and programs.This can be for a disability you have now, had in the past, might have in the future or you are believed to have.
The definition for disability in this act is very wide and includes disabilities that are physical, intellectual, psychiatric, sensory and neurological (caused by brain injury). It also includes learning disabilities, physical disfigurement (eg: scarring) and the presence of disease carrying organisms (eg: HIV).
