Overview of the American Disabilities Act (ADA)

Overview of the American Disabilities Act (ADA) Crystal Mullen What did you learn this week that you did not know before or that you found interesting? What outside resources did you use this week? Your submission should be 1 page APA formatted paper, not including your title page. I grew up in the 70s and 80s; a time when every building, every walkway and certainly every restroom was geared toward able bodied individuals. I heard stories of my mom having to help my wheelchair-bound great-grandmother out of her chair, into a ladies room stall and then back into her chair. Certain shops were outside my great-grandmother’s ability to frequent because the door to get in was too narrow for her wheelchair or the building had to be accessed by climbing steps. If these are a few of the obstacles my great-grandmother had to overcome, I can only imagine how people who are blind, deaf, or even small statured managed to live in a world that was designed for people with two good eyes, two good ears and five feet, five inches tall. This is why I’m thankful for the Americans with Disabilities Act. The American Disabilities Act (ADA) is an all-encompassing civil statute with the magnitude of a constitutional amendment. It requires equal accessibility to interact with society and equal opportunity for gainful employment. This means that restaurants offer menus in Braille. It may also means an office adjusting a workspace for an employee in a wheelchair (The Center for an Accessible Society, 2014). As alluded to, one of the main areas that are affected by the ADA is the workplace. Employers are not allowed to discriminate against applicants who are qualified but have disabilities. This means when an employer is interviewing a job hopeful, for hire, the employer is not allowed to directly question the applicant’s disability. Furthermore, the job hopeful be given the same consideration for the job at hand as his or her able-bodied counterpart. Finally, though certainly not exhaustively, employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations to their employees with disabilities. If necessary, employers will need to make accommodations that are considered reasonable for employees who become disabled temporarily by providing temporary reassignment of duties (Kesee, 2014). One of my favorite shows is the TLC reality show â€Å"The Little Couple†, Dr. Jen Arnold, who’s 3’ 2† tall is a is a doctor who works in the Neo-Natal Intensive Unit (NICU) at a hospital in Houston. In order for the hospital to accommodate the doctor’s stature, there are step ladders strategically placed throughout the NICU as well as a motorized chair quickly transport her through the long corridors of the hospital (Wikipedia, 2014). Modifications like these are required in the workplace to accommodate anyone with disabilities and those requirements are the result of the Americans Disabilities Act. Another area that is affected by the ADA involves public transportation. Under the ADA, all modes of public transportation needs to be accessible by passengers who are wheelchair-bound or otherwise disabled. This means buses and trains must provide designated seating areas for disabled individuals. Furthermore, transit facilities are required by law to allow the entry of service animals that assist passengers onboard their vehicles of transportation. Finally, airports, train stations and bus stations are required to provide assistance when needed or when asked. These are just a few areas of transportation that are affected by the ADA (Kesee, 2014). Finally, but not exhaustively, a third area that is affected by the ADA involves access into public buildings. Public buildings must ensure that entryways as well as restrooms can be wheelchair accessible and that its accessibility to the public meets ADA requirements. Many of the public buildings are now equipped with doors that open and close automatically so that wheelchair-bound individuals are granted entry. Furthermore, public buildings with steps need to provide wheelchair ramps. Finally, though certainly not exhaustively, public restrooms are required to provide at least one stall with that has a wider entrance necessary for wheelchair entry. Public facilities like grocery store counters or gas stations however must provide some type of assistance for disabled individuals who require assistance (Kesee, 2014). These are just a few measures mandated by the ADA open the doors to those with disabilities. Every wide sweeping measure has its pros and cons and the ADA is no exception. There are instances where the ADA is both well-meaning yet problematic for small businesses – particularly those that are in areas where are few or no disabilities to address. One example is that businesses are mandated by the ADA to provide public spaces and ensure that disabled patrons can accesses needed spaces. This includes continuous railings be found along the stairs and ramps, the ramps need to be constructed with low grade slopes, designated and widened parking spaces and restrooms with hand railing. While I believe these mandates by the ADA are well-intentioned, these changes and modifications to a company’s infrastructure can be costly. However, if a business chooses not to comply, they face fine that far outweigh the cost for implementing the changes. For example, the Morena Business Association incurred many lawsuits for violating ADA requirements in their San Diego, California l ocation. Because they ignored ADA mandates from 1992 to 2007 the local business was forced to pay $1 billion in fines (Holzer, 2014). Conclusion Despite the financial challenges to small businesses, I believe the ADA has positively changed society and the workplace so that everyone – regardless of their abilities can participate in society and bring value to any workplace. Last summer I had the opportunity of working with someone who was partially hearing impaired. There was a time when she would never get a job due to her disability. However, thanks to technology, she could receive communication through emails and direct face-to-face communication; she was able to perform data-entry duties along with the rest of her team. I credit the ADA with these changes to society and the workplace and these changes have made our society and workplace a more welcoming environment for all. Furthermore, I’m so thankful to get on a bus and hear bus stops audibly announced for the visually impaired. Finally, though certainly not exhaustively, I wish my great-grandmother was alive today to see she can enter any restaurant and us e any restroom all by herself and with her dignity intact. Therefore, despite its flaws the ADA has provided a great amount of good for those with disabilities and even those who have two good arms, legs, eyes and ears. It benefits everyone across the country. References Holzer, D. (2014). ADA Compliance Issues. Retrieved March 16, 2014, from eHow.com: http://www.ehow.com/list_6611054_ada-compliance-issues.html#ixzz2SLge5VT1 Kesee, C. (2014). American Disabilities Act. Retrieved March 16, 2014, from eHow.com: http://www.ehow.com/about_6626833_american-disabilities-act.html The Center for an Accessible Society. (2014). The Americans with Disabilities Act. Retrieved March 2014, 2014, from The Center for an Accessible Society. Wikipedia. (2014). The Little Couple. Retrieved March 16, 2014, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Couple

Comparing Machiavellis The Prince and Platos The Republic Essay

Comparing Machiavelli's The Prince and Plato's The Republic  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Many people in history have written about ideal rulers and states and how to maintain them.   Perhaps the most talked about and compared are Machiavelli's, The Prince and Plato's, The Republic.   Machiavelli lived at a time when Italy was suffering from its political destruction.   The Prince, was written to describe the ways by which a leader may gain and maintain power. In Plato?s The Republic, he unravels the definition of justice.   Plato believed that a ruler could not be wholly just unless one was in a society that was also just. His state and ruler was made up to better understand the meaning of justice.   It was not intended to be practiced like that of Machiavelli's. Machiavelli, acknowledging this, explains that it is his intention to write something that is true and real and useful to whoever might read it and not something imaginary,"?for many have pictured republics and principalities which in fact have never been known or seen?(Machiavelli 375)."à ‚   Therefore, because one ruler is realistic and the other imaginary, the characteristics of Machiavelli's ruler versus Plato's ruler are distinctly different.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Machiavelli?s model for his ideal prince was Cesare Borgia, also known as Duke Valentino and son of Pope Alexander VI.   He believed Cesare Borgia possessed all the qualities of a prince destined to rule and maintain power in his state. He believed that politics has a morality of its own.   There is no regard of justness or unjustness, of cruelty or   mercy, of   approval   or   humiliation, which  Ã‚   should  Ã‚   interfere  Ã‚   with   the   decision   of defending the state and preserving its freedom.   Therefore, the ruler/prince's single responsibilit... ...ddle with each other (Plato 99).? In The Prince, Machiavelli was addressing a monarchical ruler and offering advice designed to keep that ruler in power.   He felt that Cesare Borgia was model for the perfect prince. He was able to give actual examples of how princes during his time ruled and how they failed or succeeded in doing so.   Plato, in contrast was perhaps unrealistic. His ruler and state could only be used to   better understand the meaning of justice. It could never be practiced in real life because he neglects the fact that everyone sins and fails to mention this in his ideal ruler and state.  Ã‚      Works Cited 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marra, James L., Zelnick, Stephen C., and Mattson, Mark T.  Ã‚   IH 51 Source Book: Plato,   The Republic, pp. 77-106 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nicole Machiavelli,   The Prince, pp. 359-386.   Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, Dubuque, Iowa, 1998.   

Merchant of Venice Essay

A rich Jewish moneylender, Shylock is the villain of The Merchant of Venice in that the problem he initiates causes great concern in the community of the city. He insists that Antonio keep his bond and extract a pound of flesh since he has failed to make the three thousand ducats Shylock has loaned to Bassanio on Antonio’s word. When they go to court the duke insists that the charges must be drop, but Shylock will not tolerate it. Antonio is a merchant in Venice. When Bassanio asks him for money to impress Portia, Antonio wants to give it to him but cannot because all of his money is tied up in goods that are being transported by ship to ports where they will be sold. Out of kindness to Bassanio, he agrees to secure any loan Bassanio might get in the marketplace. Bassanio requests that loan from Shylock, a moneylender with whom Antonio is not on the best of terms. Antonio has criticized Shylock for usury, and Shylock, in turn, resents Antonio’s generosity in loaning money out at no†¦ Portia is a wealthy heiress from Belmont grieving over her father’s death and bond over the inherence. When Portia is introduced in the play Bassanio is struck by her beauty and does anything to be with her, but the only way to do that is to choose a casket. Among the three suitors her true love is bassanio.

Learn About Sight Words Dolch vs Fry Words

The term Fry words refers to the list of 1,000 high-frequency words compiled by Dr. Edward Fry in 1957. The list was an improvement on the Dolch words list first published in 1936.   Dolch Sight Words vs. Fry Words Both the Dolch and Fry word lists were developed based on the most frequently-occurring words in the English language. The Dolch list is made up of 220 words and contains no nouns unless they can be used as another part of speech. (Dolch created a separate list of 95 nouns.) The Fry list contains 1,000 words and includes all parts of speech. According to Readsters.com, both lists were based on secondary sources, but the Fry list was updated in 1980 to add words from a more recent word frequency count. The Fry words list is based on the American Heritage Word Frequency Book, whose 87,000 words are ranked by  the frequency in which they occur in reading material for grade 3 to 9.   Dolch sight words are based on high-frequency words that students in kindergarten through second grade typically  would be reading. They are  listed by age group, whereas the first 300 Fry words are listed by order of frequency. They are broken down into groups of 100 because Fry advocated focusing on a few words at a time until a student  memorized the entire list. How Can These Lists Be Used? Both the Dolch and Fry lists are based on whole word reading. However, a study by the  National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in 2000, indicates that  beginning and struggling readers see stronger outcomes when they are taught to decode words using phonics. A recommended approach is combining explicit phonics instruction with either the Dolch or Fry list of sight words. This combination helps children build fluency quickly by providing a base of words they recognize on sight along with a method for decoding unfamiliar words. When Should Fry Words Be Taught? In a traditional school setting, Fry words are often taught as early as kindergarten. Once children are familiar with the alphabet and letter sounds, you can begin introducing Fry words. Start with only five to ten words. Once a student masters that list, add five to 10  more, but continue to review the previously mastered words. Generally, children are expected to master 20 sight or high-frequency words by the end of kindergarten and 100 by the end of first grade. In a homeschool setting, let your childs developmental readiness be your guide. Some children are curious, eager learners who are ready to start learning high-frequency words as early as three-years-old. Others may not be ready until first or second grade or even later. For young children, you may wish to start with only a couple of words at a time, building up to the five- to ten-word range. Let your childs progress guide you. Move at a pace  which allows your student to master the words without frustration successfully. Ideally, sight words and high-frequency words should be taught as a supplement to phonics instruction. First 100 Fry Words The first 100 Fry words are ideally suited for students in kindergarten and first grade. The words  are listed alphabetically below, rather than in order of frequency. They can be taught in any order. For younger students, its recommended to start with short words that appear frequently in the text your students are reading, such as a, the, an, can, is, of, you, he, and I.  Ã‚   a about all an and are as at be been but by called can come could day did do down each find first for from get go had has have he her him his how I if in into is it like long look made make many may more my no not now number of oil on one or other out part people said see she sit so some than that the their them then there these they this time to two up use was water way we were what when which who will with words would write you your Second 100 Fry Words Both the second and third 100 Fry words are recommended for students in second to third grades. Again, it is helpful to teach the words in conjunction with those that appear frequently in the texts that your students are reading. after again air also America animal another answer any around ask away back because before big boy came change different does end even follow form found give good great hand help here home house just kind know land large learn letter line little live man me means men most mother move much must name need new off old only our over page picture place play point put read right same say sentence set should show small sound spell still study such take tell things think three through too try turn us very want well when where why work world years Third 100 Fry Words Once the second 100 Fry words are mastered, children can move on to the third batch of 100. Again, continue teaching the words in groups of five to ten, and move on as each group is mastered.   above add almost along always began begin being below between book both car carry children city close country cut don't earth eat enough every example eyes face family far father feet few food four girl got group grow hard head hear high idea important Indian it's keep last late leave left let life light list might mile miss mountains near never next night often once open on paper plant real river run saw school sea second seem side something sometimes song soon start state stop story talk those thought together took tree under until walk watch while white without young Tips for Teaching Fry Words Help your children master the Fry words quickly and easily by making learning fun and keeping them engaged. Try some of the following activities. Concentration:  Make two identical sets of cards for the words your student is learning. Mix the cards and place them face down one at a time in even rows. Two or more students can play together, taking turns flipping over two cards each turn. They must read aloud the words they turn over.   If the words match, the student gets to keep that pair and take another turn. If not, play passes to the next student. After all the matches have been made, the child with the most pairs wins. Go Fish. Again, start with two matching sets of word cards mixed together. Deal three to five cards to each player, depending on how many are in the set. Students take turns calling out one word in their hand and asking one other player if he has the match. If the student gets a match, he gets another turn. If not, play passes to the next player. After all the word cards have been matched, the student with the most pairs wins.   Bingo. Create bingo cards with both mastered words and new words placed randomly on the cards. As you call out words, the students should put a marker over the word if they find it on their card. The first student to achieve a bingo with five words in a row, vertically or horizontally, wins the game.