Disability Act France

• The Disability Act in France is called as the 2005 Disability Act.
• The disability law in France came into force on 11 February 2005.
• The law is based on an equal opportunity, participation and citizenship for people with disabilities.
• The 2005 Disability Act is the main legislation regarding disability-based discrimination in France.
• No difference should be made between disabled and able people in terms of recruitment or access to company training.
• This Act also supports main legislation regarding measures to support disabled workers in France.
• Workers with disabilities are entitled to adjustments and arrangements in their working hours and shifts.
• This Act allows disabled workers to retire early from the age of 55 on the basis of 30 working years with a disabled worker status.

The Disability Law 2005 defines disability as Any limitations in participating in society because of a substantial, permanent condition affecting a person’s physical, sensory or mental functioning, which includes cognitive and psychiatric disorders and disabling chronic illnesses.

• The law was framed as the introduction in France of the international ‘social model of disability’, in order to combat discrimination.
• The law states that individuals with disabilities are entitled to accommodation to secure equal access to all programs and services.
• The purpose of this law is to guarantee access to fundamental rights for persons with disabilities belonging to all citizens as well as the ability to fully exercise the rights of citizenship.

• The 2005 Disability Act is the main legislation regarding measures to support employers in France.
• Employers are supported when directly hiring disabled people and when hiring subcontractors from the sheltered sector.
• A bonus of 1600 Euros is granted to employers who directly or indirectly hire a disabled person for over 12 consecutive months.

• Workers with disabilities are entitled to adjustments and arrangements in their working hours and shifts
• They also receive priority access to further training and continuing education as part of their current position.
• In case of redundancy, the notice period concerning a disabled worker is double that which is otherwise used in the company.
• At last, disabled workers are entitled to early retirement from the age of 55 on the basis of 30 working years with a disabled worker status.

• Learners with autism spectrum disorders can attend externalized units specifically designed for them.
• Since 2018, the National Strategy for Autism within Neurodevelopmental Disorders has fostered the implementation of externalized autism teaching units in nursery and primary schools.
• So far, 160 units have been created and 200 more will be created before 2022.
• The units were created so that children with autism could benefit from early schooling as well as get medical-social support within mainstream educational settings.

• Baudot, Pierre-Yves. "Layering rights: the case of disability policies in France (2006-2016)." Social policy and society 17.1 (2018): 117-131
• Baudot, P. Y. (2018). Layering rights: the case of disability policies in France (2006-2016). Social policy and society, 17(1), 117-131.

• Prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by “public entities” such as state and local government agencies.
• Requires public entities to make their programs, services and activities accessible to individuals with disabilities.
• Outlines requirements for self-evaluation and planning; making reasonable modifications to policies, practices, and procedures where necessary to avoid discrimination; identifying architectural barriers; and communicating effectively with people with hearing, vision and speech disabilities.
• Regulated and enforced by the U.S. Department of Justice.

• Prohibits places of public accommodation from discriminating against individuals with disabilities.
• Public accommodations include privately owned, leased or operated facilities like hotels, restaurants, retail merchants, doctor’s offices, golf courses, private schools, day care centers, health clubs, sports stadiums, movie theaters, and so on.
• Sets the minimum standards for accessibility for alterations and new construction of commercial facilities and privately owned public accommodations. It also requires public accommodations to remove barriers in existing buildings where it is easy to do so without much difficulty or expense.
• Directs businesses to make "reasonable modifications" to their usual ways of doing things when serving people with disabilities.
• Requires that businesses take steps necessary to communicate effectively with customers with vision, hearing, and speech disabilities.
• Regulated and enforced by the U.S. Department of Justice.

• Requires telephone and Internet companies to provide a nationwide system of interstate and intrastate telecommunications relay services that allows individuals with hearing or speech disabilities to communicate over the telephone.
• Requires closed captioning of federally funded public service announcements.
• Regulated by the Federal Communication Commission.

• Contains a variety of provisions relating to the ADA as a whole, including its relationship to other laws, state immunity, its impact on insurance providers and benefits, prohibition against retaliation and coercion, illegal use of drugs, and attorney’s fees.
• Provides a list of certain conditions that are not considered disabilities.

• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a law that guarantees everyone has the same opportunity to enjoy and participate in American life.
• A person with a disability under the law is someone who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more life activities.
• Life activities include learning, working, self care, performing manual tasks, walking, hearing and many more.

• The ADA defines a physical impairment as a physiological disorder or condition, anatomical loss, or cosmetic disfigurement that impacts one or more of these body systems:
• Neurological
• Special-sense organs
• Musculoskeletal
• Digestive
• Cardiovascular
• Respiratory
• Reproductive
• Hemic and lymphatic
• Endocrine
• Skin
• Genitourinary

• The Autism CARES Act of 2019 was passed on September 30, 2019 as an expansion of the original Autism CARES Act of 2006. This new law extends services and funding for autism and autism research for the next five years.
• The Autism CARES Act of 2019 is responsible for the following:-
• Increases funding for autism research.
• Supports and reauthorizes programs that provide services for people with autism.
• Empowers the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) on federal reporting and surveying current autism services.
• Aims to improve services for the autistic community throughout a person’s entire lifespan.

With autism-related legislation leading up to and including the Autism CARES Act of 2014, more than $3.1 billion of federal funding was dedicated to autism. With the Autism CARES Act of 2019, an additional $1.8 billion in funding is allocated over a five-year period.

• Provides more funding for research. This eventually means more information on the potential causes of autism and effective treatment options.
• Reauthorizes programs aimed at improving quality of life for people with autism.
• Continues to support services and programs that help people with autism.
• Expands additional services to include support for autistic adults since autism is a lifelong disorder.
• Provides improved early detection training for medical providers, which can enhance early intervention services.
• Expands autism services within diverse populations.

Legislation like the Autism CARES Act of 2019 is essential to helping these individuals. Thanks to ongoing federal funding, many of these children and adults can access services that are truly life-changing for them and their families.

The research funded by the legislation can pioneer discoveries, therapies, and resources that change the landscape of autism in the U.S. It’s repeatedly been shown that public policy like this can strengthen the ability of individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities to achieve the best possible outcomes in life.