Page 6 - Vision Manual

Questions: Have you done any of these things to challenge stigma? Which of these methods seem challenging to you? How would you know when to use selective disclosure to challenge stigma? Who have you done this with?
Protecting Yourself from Stigma
Sometimes you won’t be able to stop someone from engaging in stigma against you. You might not have the time, the energy, or the ability to help someone shift away from prejudiced thinking or action. This is why it’s important to know your rights, and know the laws that have been created to help combat stigma.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed to make the quality of life easier for individuals who struggle with a wide variety of physical and mental conditions. It exists to prevent discrimination from others based on disability and ensure access to many different parts of life to those who have a disability or condition. It specifically prohibits discrimination at work, at school (including colleges and universities), while using transportation, seeking entertainment, and otherwise communicating with others. You can make use of this law to help get accommodations at work or school so that you can continue working despite impairment caused by a condition. Most importantly, it makes it so that companies cannot simply fire someone because they have a mental health diagnosis. Similarly, the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was passed so that individuals with medical conditions could seek treatment and know that they could maintain their jobs while getting treatment. While this particular law requires you to have worked at a job for a fixed period of time, it allows for you to go to therapy, receive services and otherwise work on treating your mental illness without losing your job. The Fair Housing Act (FHA) prohibits discrimination from landlords or other housing agencies based on a wide variety of different qualities, including mental health.
If you believe that your rights have been violated, there are a number of different options that you might have to make things right. Oftentimes it can be helpful to address the person or people involved directly, with help or support from providers or advocates if needed. A conversation about the need for a reasonable accommodation, or the importance of treatment, can help the other person see their obligation and provide you with what you need. If this fails, you may need to talk to an expert to get advice, support, advocacy, or legal help. For example, if your employer refuses to give you a reasonable accommodation, you may need to contact the Office of the Attorney General in order to get some help. There are also a number of organizations that help provide legal advice and representation to individuals in need at a reduced cost, or sometimes even for free.
Questions: Have you ever used an advocate to get help with problems described above? What laws do you think apply to you? What would help you say something if you felt your rights were being violated?
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