The Fair Housing Act was created to prohibit discrimination in various forms while selling or renting houses to individuals. Providing disabled people housing has been one of the key concerns of the Federal government. Finding low cost and conveniently structured disabled people housing was hard to find before the Fair Housing Act amendments were made. After including the disabled housing rights, it is now easier for all individuals with any kind of disability to have an equal opportunity and a legal right in finding homes and apartments for themselves.

The Fair Housing Act Amendments For Disability Accommodation

The Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, disability and national origin. The coverage includes private housing, housing with Federal financial assistance, and State and local government housing. It is illegal to deny selling or renting a house to an individual due to their disability. Other activities included in the Fair Housing Act are zoning practices, construction, advertising and financing. Renters and sellers are required to make reasonable changes adaptations to their properties to provide equal opportunities to disabled people seeking housing.

Difference between SSI & SSDI

Many people are not aware that there is a difference between Social Security Disability (SSDI) and Social Security Insurance (SSI). Social Security Insurance is just that –A federal system that one involuntarily pays into while working, in order to receive retirement benefits at the prescribed age. The average Social Security income ranges in the between $800-1000 per month, depending on the amount one earned while one worked. There are various persons who may receive SSI OR SSDI benefits. For example you can be the son or daughter or spouse of someone who is deceased that worked and paid into the system and received SSI or SSDI.

Disability Help at Service stations

A great many people with disabilities who drive find it hard or almost impossible when it comes to filling up their cars with petrol or gas. This may be due to the fact that they have trouble using the hose, nozzle or controls at the self service centres. Some service stations are only self service and this may mean that the disabled person cannot buy their petrol/gas from these types and are therefore discriminated against.

Most petrol/gas stations now have some kind of policy regarding disabled peoples needs, although they may differ slightly from country to country, but most stations are now required to meet conditions such as:

Declaring a disability to an employer

Comparing disability figures internationally is difficult
due to the fact that different countries regard disability in different
ways. The following facts and figure therefore relate more to the United
Kingdom.
Disabled People
* There are approximately over 8.6 million
people who are classed as disabled in the UK alone.

* 8% of the people registered disabled use a wheelchair.

* It is estimated that there are 610 million disabled people worldwide.
* Four hundred million people living in the world’s developing countries
are disabled.
* 10 to 20% of every country’s population is thought to be affected by disability.
* There is estimated to be 39 million disabled people in Europe.
Disability at work
* Disability affects 20% of the working population.
* There are 6.8 million people of working age who are disabled with roughly
3 million in actual work.
* 13% of the workforce in the UK is disabled.

Disability & Employment
If you are disabled and looking for work then it is not an obligation for you to tell the potential employer beforehand that you are disabled but before making the decision there are some things that you should take into account.

There are very good reasons for telling the employer about your disabilities because you have certain rights in the workplace due to your disabilities. The disability discrimination act is there to protect a disabled person, which means it is against the law for an employer to discriminate against you in recruiting and choosing an applicant for the job.