9781422275450

A DAY IN THE LIFE: LAWYER FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

The abuse of people with disabilities was often overlooked by law enforcement officials. Parents of children with disabilities were told by medical professionals that they lacked the money and resources to properly take care of their child. These doctors encouraged parents to have their child institutionalized, and sometimes family visited every once in a while. Little attention was paid to children with disabilities beyond their basic care—food, clothing, and a bed. While things have changed greatly for people with disabilities, many still experience discrimination and hardship regularly in their lives. Society has made great shifts in how people with disabilities are treated, but there is still much work to be done. Today, there are many different careers that function to serve those who have disabilities. Some careers help people with disabilities to get government aid, to ensure that they are being treated fairly, or to help them learn how to modify their environment to suit their needs. Other careers work with people who have specific disabilities, such as Down syndrome or autism . There are also lawyers who help people with disabilities, When you imagine a lawyer in their day-to-day work, you probably think of them giving speeches in a courtroom. While this certainly can be a part of a lawyer’s day, most of their time is actually spent writing, doing research, and meeting with clients, especially because lawyers usually work on many cases at one time. Lawyers who work with people with disabilities may defend them against discrimination that has occurred in housing, employment, education, government, and social work situations. Lawyers can also work to change current laws. This type of work includes doing lots of research, meeting with people in power (such as politicians and policymakers), and giving speeches to groups of people who have the ability to change laws. Lawyers typically work long hours and find their work to be quite rewarding.

HELPING THOSE WITH DISABILITIES

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