The Poor Relief Act

Throughout the years there have been many legislation pieces enacted to protect the lives of millions of people with disabilities in the United States. The purpose of these laws is to ensure and restore the lives of individuals with disabilities. One significant legislation is the Poor Relief Act of 1601, which was held in England. This act is extremely important because it was the first piece of legislation that helped people with disabilities. I believe that this act is meaningful because back then people with disabilities were mistreated and held captive. PWD had basically no rights and no protection at all. In fact, people with the most severe disabilities were seen as the “ones that God had forgotten about,” and people with sensory disabilities
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was one of the major legislations in history. This act gave priorities to people with severe disabilities. Many people fought for the rights of those with disabilities and especially for those that had the most severe disabilities because they were often the most affected and discriminated. This act consisted of four sections. One section was the civil rights portion and was based on the argument that PWD should not be discriminated in federal employment or hiring practices. Another important aspect of this act was the section 502 that granted accessibility for PWD. Most of the times PWD were unable to move freely because they had no accessibility, for example no handicapped spaces. This act also offered rehabilitation counseling services and it helped broaden the definition of disability. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a major piece of legislation. This act was also known as the civil rights act of PWD. This piece of legislation prohibited discrimination in employment, yet people with alcoholism and drug abuse were excluded. Another advantage of the ADA was that