in the deaf community who use American Sign Language. The crowning of Heather Whitestone, who is deaf and oral, as Miss America caused some members of the deaf community to believe she betrayed them by speaking ("Miss America" 1). The cochlear implant has also raised concern in the deaf community. It gives some hearing to a person without hearing. Some members of the deaf community believe this places the individual with the implant in the position of not belonging fully to either the hearing or the deaf culture (Tye-Murray, Spencer and Woodworth 327).
Governmental legislation at the federal level in the last 25 years, beginning with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, has increased opportunities for people with communications impairments. The most recent of these pieces of legislation is the Americans with Disabilities Act, passed in 1990. This act "provides anti-discrimination protection for all people with physical or mental impairments that substantially limit one or more major life activities" (McEntee 184). People with communications impairments are included in this definition.
The purpose of the ADA is to give equal access and opportunity to all individuals with disabilities (Coleman and Lister 3). It gives an opportunity to disabled individuals who wish to work to be considered on an equal basis with non-disabled individuals. The act requires that employment candidates be qualified. ADA does require employers not to discount or not hire a
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