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Richard Dahill, a Boston, Massachusetts resident, has recently put Massachusetts's disability law to test, with his recent case against the Boston Police Department. Dahill, has been denied the right to graduate from the police academy program, that he had been attending for 26 weeks, because he has profound hearing loss. However, with the assistance from electronic hearing aids, his disability all but disappears. The question now arises; of whether or not Dahill is indeed considered disabled under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), which would entitle him to sue. In 1999, the U.S. Supreme Court made a landmark decision that no individual with a correctable disability could sue their employer for either refusing to hire them or for firing them. Since states can apply their own interpretation of the anti-discrimination law, this case will prove to be a test for Massachusetts. There is great controversy surrounding this case, with much opposition to the inclusion of individuals with correctable disabilities to the ADA definition of disability. This case could ultimately change the face of the ADA as we know it, by further narrowing the ADA's reach.
In a document entitled "The Accessible Church: Toward Becoming the Whole Family of God," the Massachusetts Council of Churches charge that individuals with disabilities are "largely absent" from area churches. The document further states that "people with disabilities are still…excluded from full participation because of inaccessible buildings and programs, left out of the communication loop, and often made to feel like inconvenient objects of pity." Although there have been modifications made to accommodate the needs of individuals with mobility impairments, there is still much to be done to properly accommodate and include those individuals with hearing or seeing disabilities. The authors of this document hope that the statements will encourage discussion among churches regarding how individuals with disabilities can be better integrated into full participation within the church. The document will be disbursed to 6000 churches and individuals associated with the Massachusetts Council of Churches.
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