Disabled Americans Deserve ‘Reparations,’ Rutgers-Newark Expert Says

NEWARK, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of Rutgers-Newark. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site. Reparations for America’s legacy of discriminating against those with disabilities is increasingly being advocated as a way to reckon with centuries of harm, and in some cases, restore what was lost, according to Lauren Shallish, a Rutgers-Newark professor of Disability Studies. While reparations for ancestors of the enslaved are now part of the national conversation – and efforts have made headway in some cities and states – similar measures can also be applied to the harms against the disabled, says Shallish, who is part of a movement to raise awareness of the issue and coordinates the first Disability Studies Program at Rutgers University. Find out what’s happening in Newarkfor free with the latest updates from Patch. The concept of reparations doesn’t always include financial compensation. Often, the first step is acknowledgement of centuries of abuse and injustice rooted in attitudes that, in some form, persist today in public opinion and on an institutional level, said Shallish. “Reparations can mean giving back what was taken from individuals and communities, a generational understanding of what’s been destroyed and...