The Governmental Display of the Confederate Flag Essay -- Expository E

The Governmental Display of the Confederate Flag The confederacy is dead. The Civil War is long over, and the United States has experienced much growth and development since its end, much of this due to the outcome of the war. A new, united America flourished throughout the late eighteen hundreds gaining a great deal of power through high levels of commerce and trade. There is no doubt that America is better off now because of the outcome of the War between the States. However, many of the symbols of the Civil War remain very active in the present world; they are very much alive and charged with meaning and power. Probably the best known among all of these symbols is the Confederate Battle Flag. The â€Å"rebel flag† has taken on many different meanings since its conception in the 1860’s. Unfortunately, today it is often associated with different hate groups and people who would wish it to be used as a symbol of oppression. Though we may be better off now as one united country, this freedom to rebel is what A merica was founded on over two hundred-fifty years ago. The men who fought for a better country in the Civil War were just as patriotic as the soldiers of the Revolutionary war. This is why it is so unfortunate to see their banner tarnished and defiled the way it often has been in the last several decades. However, it is also revered and glorified by many people and organizations. It’s spirit of sacrifice and nobility, and the patriotism demonstrated by the men who fought under it is often acknowledged and demonstrated through the public display of the Confederate Flag. The debate of which I write stems from the display, by certain state governments, of the Confederate Battle Flag both in its original form and i... ...rs, but also the generations of blacks who have suffered persecution. Persecution at the hands of people who wave the flag as a weapon of hatred; a sword that still cuts deeply today. These state governments recognize that these symbols are unwanted by a large portion of their population, or at least realize that bad publicity does them no good, and that it is necessary to change. I don’t see the Confederate Flag issue being resolved any time soon; as long as the different groups attach different meanings to the flag, they always have different opinions as to whether or not it should be displayed. Works Cited: Reed, John Shelton. â€Å"The Banner that won’t Stay Furled.† Southern Cultures. Spring 2002: 76. Darby, Joseph A. Darby Responds to Most Frequent Allegations Against Sanctions.† Editorial. The Post and Courier [Charleston, SC] 16 May 2001: A7. The Governmental Display of the Confederate Flag Essay -- Expository E The Governmental Display of the Confederate Flag The confederacy is dead. The Civil War is long over, and the United States has experienced much growth and development since its end, much of this due to the outcome of the war. A new, united America flourished throughout the late eighteen hundreds gaining a great deal of power through high levels of commerce and trade. There is no doubt that America is better off now because of the outcome of the War between the States. However, many of the symbols of the Civil War remain very active in the present world; they are very much alive and charged with meaning and power. Probably the best known among all of these symbols is the Confederate Battle Flag. The â€Å"rebel flag† has taken on many different meanings since its conception in the 1860’s. Unfortunately, today it is often associated with different hate groups and people who would wish it to be used as a symbol of oppression. Though we may be better off now as one united country, this freedom to rebel is what A merica was founded on over two hundred-fifty years ago. The men who fought for a better country in the Civil War were just as patriotic as the soldiers of the Revolutionary war. This is why it is so unfortunate to see their banner tarnished and defiled the way it often has been in the last several decades. However, it is also revered and glorified by many people and organizations. It’s spirit of sacrifice and nobility, and the patriotism demonstrated by the men who fought under it is often acknowledged and demonstrated through the public display of the Confederate Flag. The debate of which I write stems from the display, by certain state governments, of the Confederate Battle Flag both in its original form and i... ...rs, but also the generations of blacks who have suffered persecution. Persecution at the hands of people who wave the flag as a weapon of hatred; a sword that still cuts deeply today. These state governments recognize that these symbols are unwanted by a large portion of their population, or at least realize that bad publicity does them no good, and that it is necessary to change. I don’t see the Confederate Flag issue being resolved any time soon; as long as the different groups attach different meanings to the flag, they always have different opinions as to whether or not it should be displayed. Works Cited: Reed, John Shelton. â€Å"The Banner that won’t Stay Furled.† Southern Cultures. Spring 2002: 76. Darby, Joseph A. Darby Responds to Most Frequent Allegations Against Sanctions.† Editorial. The Post and Courier [Charleston, SC] 16 May 2001: A7.

The Industrialists :: essays research papers

The Industrialists   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Company observers and historians have never agreed on their judgment as to whether or not large business tycoons like Rockefeller, Gould, and Carnegie were ?captains of industry?, or ?robber-barons?. My opinion is that these men have only followed what every human has ever dreamed of in this free country, which is to succeed far above everyone else, so that they could live in luxury, with wealth that they hope can bring them happiness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Being very smart and persuasive, through threats and or secret deals ?under the table?, they found ways to get their way, and win in any situation. In everything from controlling downsizing to manipulating stocks, these captains of industry have set a path that can be looked back upon as ingenious and very well thought and executed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jay Gould, in a partnership with Drew and Fisk, was so surprisingly great that he could foil a plan that his own teacher of the business world had conceived. He also went behind the backs of his friends, learned that the government was soon to sell gold at a lower price, and rather than tell his friends, he sold his gold before the market dropped the price. With his friends lying in ruins, he had made a $12 million dollar profit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jim ?Jubilee? Fisk, was a man who was cheated, but managed to make it great while being cheated. When Gould had illegally dropped 50,000 new shares of the Erie railroad stock on the market, Fisk was able to bribe enough legislators in the state capital of Albany, to have Gould?s new stock legalized. Fisk also forced Drew out of the Erie after a betrayal concerning contempt charges. Soon, Fisk and Gould had the Erie under their complete control.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Andrew Carnegie, as an official for the Pennsylvania railroad, invested in the Pullman carts, and had profits soaring in his benefit. Taking every advantage of the low construction costs, he built a Bessemer process factory in Pittsburgh where the intersections of transportation lines met, coal from Pennsylvania and iron ore from Minnesota, with the minimum cost applied reducing production costs. He then achieved horizontal integration by owning everything that he needed to produce steel, and insured sufficient supplies at a stable price.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cornelius Vanderbilt, aka ?the Commodore?, began his career as a ferry boy, but soon made a fortune from steamship lines and stock speculations. He invested primarily in the railroad franchise, gaining complete control of three major railroads, the Hudson, traveling from New York City to Albany, the Harlem, which ran through New York City, and the New York Central, which went from New York City to Toledo.

Family is an extraordinarily important aspect of my life Essay

My mother, above everyone else in my life, has had a significant influence on me. My mom has said that if the whole world turns their back on you, your family will always be there for you. She has always been there for me. She is an absolutely amazing human being and a great role model. Everyday I see how she handles having four children, manages a household and a career. Through her example, I have learned to make good decisions and be very responsible. My mother inspires me everyday. She has taught me to not only respect other people’s opinions, but to formulate my own opinions as well. She showed me that I can do anything I put my mind to and has told me to always stand up for myself. I started to play soccer when I was in second grade and I came to love it. Years ago when I was playing soccer, I was not getting much playing time during games. I was not one of the strongest players but I played well. I was disappointed about the games and talked to my mom about it. She said rather than her talking to the coach I should remind the coach that I was not getting enough playing time. During the next game I stood by the coach and asked to be put in. It worked. I got more playing time and the coach noticed how well I played. He complimented me on my game and from that point on I didn’t have to ask for more playing time. I am glad that she encouraged me to stand up for myself. From this experience, I learned that in life you have to fight for what you want. My mom has shown me that we should not only take from the community, but also give back. I volunteer with the Girl Scouts and at a local church as much as possible. With my church youth group I have visited a Veteran’s home to talk with the residents and keep them company. We also have done a rake and run where we rake the leaves of elderly or disabled people. I was voted onto a core team by my peers. On the core team I help the advisers lead the group at meetings and volunteer services. Because of my mom’s encouragement, I work extremely hard at school and everything I do. She has inspired me to push myself to the limit and beyond. My mom has taught me to live my life to its fullest. Life is a journey and my mom has taught me many things along the way. College is the next step in my journey and I am going to take everything I have learned along with me. My mom has not only influenced my life, but is my absolute hero. The lessons she has taught me will be instilled in me foreve

Health Promotion

Health Promotion Plan for African American Adults at Risk for Coronary Heart Disease Community Nursing: NUR 3634 Abstract Coronary heart disease affects a disproportionate amount of African Americans (CDC, 2010a), yet there are modifiable risk factors that can reduce the risk of this disease. These modifiable risk factors include high blood pressure and high cholesterol.This health promotion plan involves a community-based strategy that targets African Americans by offering primary and secondary prevention measures directly accessible at local community churches in Titusville, FL to decrease the prevalence and incidence of coronary heart disease in the African American community. Health Promotion Plan for African American Adults at Risk for Coronary Heart Disease Part I: Community DiagnosisRisk of complications, including death, of hypertension and hyperlipidemia among African American adults related to poor eating habits, poor primary prevention measures, and poor medication complia nce as evidenced by data that show prevalence of cardiovascular disease among African Americans to be 44. 6 percent for males and 46. 9 percent for females (FDH, 2008), and Healthy People 2010 National Health Objective 12-9, which is to reduce the proportion of adults with high blood pressure (USDHHS, 2000), and National Health Objective 12-14, which is to reduce the proportion of adults with high total blood cholesterol levels (USDHHS, 2000).Part II: Review of Literature What is Coronary Heart Disease and how does blood pressure and cholesterol affect it? According to the CDC (2010b), cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women (34. 3 percent of all deaths), and is estimated to affect over 81 million people in the United States (AHA, 2010). Cardiovascular disease includes several conditions (AHA, 2010): high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure. Coronary heart disease is the most common type of cardiovascular disease and accounts for the majority of these deaths (AHA, 2010).Coronary heart disease, also known as coronary artery disease, refers to a condition in which atherosclerotic plaque collects in the arteries and obstructs the flow of blood to the myocardium (Lewis, Heitkemper, Dirkson, O’Brien, & Bucher, 2007). The plaques consist of deposits of cholesterol and lipids, which progressively decrease the diameter of the blood vessel though which blood flows. The stress of a constantly elevated blood pressure increases the rate of atherosclerotic development (Lewis, Heitkemper, Dirkson, O’Brien, & Bucher, 2007). Coronary heart disease is associated with multiple risk factors, some of which are modifiable (e. . , high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, and dietary factors) and other risk factors that are not modifiable (e. g. , age, sex, heredity) (CDC 2010b; Lewis, Heitkemper, Dirkson, O’Brien, & Bucher, 2007). Why is high cholesterol & high blood pressure a p roblem for African American Adults? Data from the CDC (2010a) suggest that although African Americans are less likely to be diagnosed with coronary heart disease, which is due to disparities in health care access and delivery, they are more likely to die from it. In fact, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease among African Americans is 44. percent for males and 46. 9 percent for females (FDH, 2008). Related to this are estimates that African American males and females over the age of 20 are more likely to have hypertension than non-Hispanic whites (CDC, 2010a). Although percentage of African American adults over the age of 20 with high cholesterol is less than non-Hispanic whites, high cholesterol is still a problem for approximately 10 percent of African American females and 13 percent of males (CDC, 2010a). Current Nursing Interventions Primary prevention measures generally consist of patient education, behavioral counseling, and support.Secondary prevention measures involve bl ood pressure screening, blood lipid screening, prescription and reinforcement of medication regimes (Taylor & Wright, 2005), and referrals. Successful and Unsuccessful Interventions Current interventions combined with programs such as the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) 2010, which addresses underserved communities (CDC, 2010c), the BLESS project (Williamson & Kautz, 2009), which promotes health through faith-based activities, and community health advisor programs are interventions that are working (Cornell et al. 2009; Plescia, Herrick, & Chavis, 2008; McKinley et al. , 2009; Williamson & Kautz, 2009). Studies suggest that some interventions alone don’t always achieve the intended outcomes due to disparities in related to access and delivery of health care (Niska & Han, 2009; Ratanawongsa, Fisher, Couper, Van Hoewyk, & Powe, 2010). Part III: Plan Title: Health Promotion Plan for African American Adults at Risk for Coronary Heart Disease in Titusville , FL.Short term goal: Before and after Sunday church services at five, mainly African American churches, volunteer nurses will educate 10 individuals on three causes of high blood pressure and three causes of high cholesterol, and screen those 10 individuals for high blood pressure. Three Measurable, Time Specific Learner Objectives 1. By the end of one, 20-minute teaching session, participants will list three ways to decrease coronary heart disease. 2. By the end of one, 20-minute teaching session, participants will list three health promoting behaviors to reduce high blood pressure. . By the end of one, 20-minute teaching session, participants will list three health promoting behaviors to decrease elevated cholesterol levels. These goals and objectives specifically target African Americans living in Titusville. Short, concise educational sessions will precede and follow church services at five predominantly African American churches in Titusville the first Sunday of each month for a year. A booth, consisting of information in the form of posters and pamphlets for participants to take home, will be set up.The booth will be staffed by two nurse volunteers, who will provide basic information to participants, as well as assess participant’s blood pressures. The objectives will be measured and evaluated orally through question and answer sessions at the end a 20-minute session. These objectives are reasonable and feasible because the time frame suggested is enough to engage the participant without overwhelming them with too much information, yet nurses will be available for questions once a month (for a year) should the need arise. Health promotion What is health promotion and why is it important in our world today? I am sure it seems the answer is not very complicated: but is it as simple as promoting health? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), â€Å"Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health† (World, 2013). This is a change from the past in that healthcare providers are encouraging our patients to take control of their own health while guiding and educating them in he right direction.Health has been shown not to Just be free from disease but also encompasses physical, mental, and social well-being (WHO 2013). The whole purpose of promoting individual health is to give the communities the ability to feel they have control over their health plan and help them to stay out of the hospitals, which is what they prefer. This takes cooperation by the patient and the healthcare provider. It is imperative that a nurse stay up to date with a continuous c hanging healthcare pattern, since they have a big role in health promotion.A big part of health promotion is related to nurses educating the communities, especially since nurses are becoming more and more involved in the communities. As time advances, researchers are predicting nurses will move more out of the hospital and into the communities. Now, more than ever, nurses are challenged to improve patient outcomes by assessing and creating education plans that will increase the patient's awareness and understanding of their disease process and management. After very thorough assessments and the need for education is completed, nurses must create plan for implementing a strategy to reach the audience targeted.It states in the article Public Health Nutrition: Focus on Prevention, the three different levels of implementation methods utilized today. The first method is individually focused and promotes health outcomes through educating, changes to a healthy lifestyle, and individual beh aviors. The types of interventions are carried out through one-on-one educational discussions and telephone conversations. The next implementation tier is more community-focused. These interventions put the spotlight on the needs of modification.The last method to be identified in the article include system-focused interventions. These interventions shift the focus from the individual to the facilities that serve individuals and the laws and policies surrounding the facility. For example, improvements in school lunches to make them healthier (University, 2012). If the healthcare providers can use the combination of the three methods listed above with the nursing process it can to improve outcomes of the patients and community in all areas of nursing. Health promotion is split by healthcare into three levels: primary, secondary, and ertiary.Primary prevention's main concept is to prevent the disease from occurring and keeping the public healthy. A couple of examples of how this is ac complished are through education, regular exams, and immunizations. A few years ago the Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners published an article, Reducing heart disease through the vegetarian diet using primary prevention, and it discusses how if a patient leads a vegan lifestyle this could cut out a lot of the processed foods and help the patient to improve chronic heart conditions.If one is unsure exactly how to ursue a vegetarian diet having a consultation with a dietitian is an additional option. Next on the pyramid of health is secondary prevention. This layer of prevention focuses on after an injury or illness has been diagnosed. The goal is to prevent progression or slow down the disease. Using the example of heart disease above, if providers are teaching regarding secondary prevention it would include termination of smoking, diet and exercise, and keeping a healthy weight and blood pressure (Mosca, i. e. 2010). These goals are more patient specific than pr imary prevention.The last tier includes tertiary prevention which focuses on helping the public prevent a further decline in health while maximizing their quality of life after being diagnosed with a chronic condition. In a recent article, The Effects of Cardiac Tertiary Prevention Program after Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery on Health and Quality of Life, it discusses cardiac rehabilitation as a possibility to fall into the tertiary level. This falls into the category in that it helps restore patient's well-being while decreasing the suffering and complications.This does take even more participation and cooperation of the patient. In conclusion, there are many things healthcare providers can attempt to do in order to educate the public. However, utilizing the three tiers of health promotion (primary, secondary, tertiary) shows a well-organized technique that can break down different levels of health. Every patient falls into at least one category on the continuum, so this is also making it easier for the provider when educating in that they can customize the patient's care plan in a more organized way.This includes tilizing the nursing process, critical thinking, and therapeutic communication allowing nurses to identify where the patient fits into the wellness continuum and helping them reach their highest level of wellbeing. Health promotion What is health promotion and why is it important in our world today? I am sure it seems the answer is not very complicated: but is it as simple as promoting health? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), â€Å"Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health† (World, 2013). This is a change from the past in that healthcare providers are encouraging our patients to take control of their own health while guiding and educating them in he right direction.Health has been shown not to Just be free from disease but also encompasses physical, mental, and social well-being (WHO 2013). The whole purpose of promoting individual health is to give the communities the ability to feel they have control over their health plan and help them to stay out of the hospitals, which is what they prefer. This takes cooperation by the patient and the healthcare provider. It is imperative that a nurse stay up to date with a continuous c hanging healthcare pattern, since they have a big role in health promotion.A big part of health promotion is related to nurses educating the communities, especially since nurses are becoming more and more involved in the communities. As time advances, researchers are predicting nurses will move more out of the hospital and into the communities. Now, more than ever, nurses are challenged to improve patient outcomes by assessing and creating education plans that will increase the patient's awareness and understanding of their disease process and management. After very thorough assessments and the need for education is completed, nurses must create plan for implementing a strategy to reach the audience targeted.It states in the article Public Health Nutrition: Focus on Prevention, the three different levels of implementation methods utilized today. The first method is individually focused and promotes health outcomes through educating, changes to a healthy lifestyle, and individual beh aviors. The types of interventions are carried out through one-on-one educational discussions and telephone conversations. The next implementation tier is more community-focused. These interventions put the spotlight on the needs of modification.The last method to be identified in the article include system-focused interventions. These interventions shift the focus from the individual to the facilities that serve individuals and the laws and policies surrounding the facility. For example, improvements in school lunches to make them healthier (University, 2012). If the healthcare providers can use the combination of the three methods listed above with the nursing process it can to improve outcomes of the patients and community in all areas of nursing. Health promotion is split by healthcare into three levels: primary, secondary, and ertiary.Primary prevention's main concept is to prevent the disease from occurring and keeping the public healthy. A couple of examples of how this is ac complished are through education, regular exams, and immunizations. A few years ago the Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners published an article, Reducing heart disease through the vegetarian diet using primary prevention, and it discusses how if a patient leads a vegan lifestyle this could cut out a lot of the processed foods and help the patient to improve chronic heart conditions.If one is unsure exactly how to ursue a vegetarian diet having a consultation with a dietitian is an additional option. Next on the pyramid of health is secondary prevention. This layer of prevention focuses on after an injury or illness has been diagnosed. The goal is to prevent progression or slow down the disease. Using the example of heart disease above, if providers are teaching regarding secondary prevention it would include termination of smoking, diet and exercise, and keeping a healthy weight and blood pressure (Mosca, i. e. 2010). These goals are more patient specific than pr imary prevention.The last tier includes tertiary prevention which focuses on helping the public prevent a further decline in health while maximizing their quality of life after being diagnosed with a chronic condition. In a recent article, The Effects of Cardiac Tertiary Prevention Program after Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery on Health and Quality of Life, it discusses cardiac rehabilitation as a possibility to fall into the tertiary level. This falls into the category in that it helps restore patient's well-being while decreasing the suffering and complications.This does take even more participation and cooperation of the patient. In conclusion, there are many things healthcare providers can attempt to do in order to educate the public. However, utilizing the three tiers of health promotion (primary, secondary, tertiary) shows a well-organized technique that can break down different levels of health. Every patient falls into at least one category on the continuum, so this is also making it easier for the provider when educating in that they can customize the patient's care plan in a more organized way.This includes tilizing the nursing process, critical thinking, and therapeutic communication allowing nurses to identify where the patient fits into the wellness continuum and helping them reach their highest level of wellbeing.

Workplace Discrimination and Autism Spectrum Disorders

299 Work 31 (2008) 299–308 IOS Press Workplace discrimination and autism spectrum disorders: The National EEOC Americans with Disabilities Act Research project Todd A. Van Wierena , Christine A. Reidb and Brian T. McMahon b,? a b Disability Support Services, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA, USA Department of Rehabilitation Counseling, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA Abstract.Using the Integrated Mission System of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the employment discrimination experience of Americans with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is documented for Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The researchers examine demographic characteristics of the charging parties; the industry designation, location, and size of employers against whom complaints are ? led; the nature of discrimination (i. e. , type of complaint) alleged to occur; and the legal outcome or resolution of these complaints.Researchers compare and con trast these key dimensions of workplace discrimination involving individuals with ASDs and persons with other physical, sensory, and neurological impairments. Researchers also attempt to discern whether or not the resolutions of the ASD charges can be predicted using the variables available for analysis. The comparative ? ndings of this study indicate that individuals with ASDs were more likely to make charges of discrimination against Retail industry employers. Persons with ASDs were also more likely to make charges of discrimination when they were younger, male, and/or of Native American/Alaskan Native ethnicity.The predictive ? ndings of this study indicate that the odds of ASD charges resulting in meritorious resolution (i. e. , discrimination determined by the EEOC to have occurred) increase when the discrimination was encountered in Service industries and by larger employers. Implications for policy, advocacy and further research efforts are addressed. 1. Introduction: Autism Spectrum Disorders The term Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is used to refer collectively to the group of disorders that comprise the ? ve speci? c, but related, conditions within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,Fourth Edition, Text Revision [3]. These disorders fall under the formal diagnostic umbrella known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDDs): (1) Autistic Disorder, (2) Asperger Syndrome, (3) Rett’s Disorder, (4) Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and (5) PDD, ? Address for correspondence: Brian T. McMahon, Department of Rehabilitation Counseling, Virginia Commonwealth Universit, POB 980330, Richmond, VA 23298-0330, USA. Tel. : +1 804 827 0917; Fax: +1 804 828 1321; E-mail: [email  protected] edu. Not Otherwise Speci? ed (NOS). Collectively, they are commonly described as autism.The common, or core, characteristics shared by each of the ? ve PDDs generally include varying degrees of impairment in the triad of: (1) verbal and non-verbal com munication, (2) social interaction, and (3) restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior or interests [2,9,33,37,38]. Aside from this common triad, additional functional limitations that can often be associated with ASDs include: hypersensitivity to sensory stimuli, hyperactivity, aggressiveness, self-injurious behavior, motor dysfunctions, arousal/activation issues, cognitive de? iencies (including impairments in abstract thought), and physical/medical features [13, 15,41,51]. Frequently, individuals with ASDs can also have â€Å". . . (1) problems understanding social cues and 1051-9815/08/$17. 00 ? 2008 – IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved 300 T. A. Van Wieren / Workplace discrimination and autism spectrum disorders: EEOC & ADA facial expressions, (2) dif? culty expressing emotions in conventionally recognizable ways, (3) in? exibility and discomfort with change, and (4) dif? culty adapting to new tasks and routines† [35, p. 163]. It is im portant to realize that people with ASDs vary cross a wide continuum of intelligence, clinical characteristics and abilities [15,16,38,41]. On one extreme, some individuals with ASDs deal with severe impairments and require intensive life-long support. On the other end of the continuum reside individuals who are sometimes referred to as having â€Å"high-functioning autism,† with relatively slight limitations in daily activities. Predicting life outcomes for the population of individuals with ASDs as a whole (merely based on their carrying an ASD diagnosis) is dif? cult because of the very wide spectrum of cognitive, linguistic, social nd behavioral functioning from person to person [21]. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) simply uses the term autism to refer collectively to the ? ve PDDs included in Autism Spectrum Disorder. It de? nes autism as â€Å"neurological disorder[s] affecting the functioning of the brain; characterized by such symptoms as speech an d language disorders and profound differences in the manner of relating to people, objects, and events. † The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is presently unable to report exactly how many people in the U. S. re diagnosed with ASDs. At the moment, more is known about the number of children with ASDs than adults. However, the CDC estimates that the current prevalence rates for ASDs are between two and six per 1,000 individuals [9]. It is known that the diagnosis of ASDs has increased steadily in recent years [9]. Estimating the change in prevalence over the years is dif? cult to do, as the definitions of and techniques for diagnosing ASDs have broadened. However, the conclusion derived from available evidence is that the current prevalence of ASDs is roughly three to four times higher than it was approximately 30 years ago [14].For instance, in 1994, ASDs were the 10th most common disability among individual s age 6–21 years served by public special education programs. By 2003, ASDs had risen to be the 6th most common disability [9]. The reasons for the apparent increase in ASDs are not exactly clear. It may be that the actual occurrence of ASDs is on the rise. However, a more likely explanation for at least part of the increase is the manner in which professionals have been classifying ASDs in recent years [14]. For example, in 1991 ASDs were added as a special education exceptionality within the US public school system [9].ASDs are known to be more prevalent in males than females, but do not seem to be systematically or conclusively linked to ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, lifestyle, educational level or geographic region [16, 53]. ASDs do tend to occur statistically more often than expected for individuals with certain medical conditions, such as Fragile X syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, congenital rubella syndrome, and untreated phenylketonuria [9]. Also, ASDs are thoug ht to occur sometimes in conjunction with harmful substances ingested during pregnancy, such as thalidomide [9]. 2. Background . 1. Employment challenges It is well known that many individuals diagnosed with ASDs face considerable dif? culty in obtaining and maintaining employment [1,5,8,22,35]. A 1998 study estimated that only 18% of adults with ASDs in the U. S. were employed in some type of work [20]. Furthermore, people with ASDs who do obtain work tend to struggle with maintaining employment. Perhaps because of the social, communicative and behavioral de? cits associated with ASDs, issues can frequently arise in the workplace with coworkers, supervisors, customers, or in the performance of duties [26]. . 2. Need for the study Even though it is well understood that individuals with ASDs experience considerable dif? culties in general with obtaining and maintaining employment, very little evidence-based knowledge has been available for understanding the more speci? c issue of wor kplace discrimination and how it may contribute to the group’s overall employment challenges. To date, a contextualized understanding of the workplace discrimination towards workers and applicants with ASDs has been lacking. Such practical insights into workplace issues re important for the community of working adults with ASDs, their advocates, and providers of vocational rehabilitaiton services. The preponderance of today’s ASD research efforts focus on either childhood issues, or on potential medical cures or prevention of ASDs. There is a substantial need for more research to focus on practical adaptation issues for adults with ASDs [6, 36,44,52]. T. A. Van Wieren / Workplace discrimination and autism spectrum disorders: EEOC & ADA 3. The National EEOC ADA research project Until quite recently, the majority of disability-related orkplace discrimination studies have tended to focus simply on the hiring preferences or attitudes of employers (or hypothetical employers ) toward individuals with disabilities [17,19,46]. Such studies generally could not examine actual occurrences of discrimination, which are behavioral manifestations of negative attitudes. By and large, they could only offer a perceived notion of workplace discrimination, and not an actual description. Furthermore, studies that attempted to examine Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title I cases of private-sector disability-related work discrimination ere limited to assessing Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) summary statistics at the allegation-level. Because data were limited, such studies did not provide deeper, more contextual, analyses of the EEOC cases [29]. Past studies did not have access to the cases’ ultimate resolutions, as well as other detailed information related to each case. Focusing on frequency of allegations alone may lead to skewed research conclusions. This is because only an approximate one? fth of all allegations made to the EEOC are ev er found to involve suf? cient evidence that disability-related discrimination conclusively occurred [28].Conversely, in approximately four-? fths of all allegations there is insuf? cient evidence for the EEOC to solidly conclude that discrimination took place. However, through an Interagency Personnel Agreement and a Con? dentiality Agreement involving the EEOC, Virginia Commonwealth University obtained the entire ADA segment of the EEOC’s Integrated Mission System (IMS) database. The IMS contains more than two million allegation records involving allegations of employment discrimination. The VCU subset includes all resolved allegations of discrimination made to the EEOC under Title I of the ADA, from July 7, 1992 (the ? rst date the ADA went into effect) to September 30, 2003. The National EEOC ADA Research Project was then developed to better understand the nature, scope and dynamics of employment discrimination against individuals with disabilities in the U. S. private-se ctor workplace. A number of studies have already been completed by members of the National EEOC ADA Research Project. Most of the ADA Title I studies completed to date have focused on speci? c disability groups, including: asthma [25], cancer [27], cerebral palsy [23], cumulative trauma disorders [4], deafness and hear- 301 ng impairment [7], diabetes [31], dis? gurement [45], HIV/AIDS [10,11], mental retardation [47], missing limbs [50], multiple sclerosis [42,43,49], speech impairment [34], spinal cord injury [30], traumatic brain injury [32], and visual impairment [48]. 4. The IMS data set Because of the unique level of access now made available to the EEOC’s IMS database, it is possible to examine the following contextual information for each case within the study database: (1) demographic characteristics of the Charging Party (i. e. , individual with the disability); (2) the industry and size of the Responding Party (i. e. employer); (3) the U. S. region from which the a llegation originated, (4) the speci? c type of alleged ADA Title I discriminatory allegation; and (5) the speci? c resolution of the case as determined by the EEOC, or by settlement or mediation between the Charging Party (CP) and Responding Party (RP). In this particular study, the research questions are answered by comparing and contrasting the employment discrimination experience of Americans with ASDs to that of Americans with other known physical, sensory, and neurological impairments. From these data, a â€Å"study dataset† was extracted to include only those ariables related to the research questions and to maximize consistency, parsimony, and con? dentiality (i. e. , to protect the identity of speci? c CPs and RPs). The extraction process was guided by the following considerations. The unit of study is an allegation; it is not an individual CP, nor an individual RP. A single CP may bring more than one allegation. Only unique allegations that do not involve recording e rrors or duplications are included in the study dataset. All identifying information regarding CPs and RPs was purged except variables important for this research.Study data were strictly limited to allegations brought under Title I of the ADA. Allegations brought under other federal employment statutes were not considered. Further, state allegations were also excluded to maintain a consistent de? nition of both disability and discrimination. To maintain consistency in de? nitions and procedures among the study variables, only allegations received, investigated, and closed by the EEOC were included. This required the exclusion of allegations referred by the EEOC to litigation for disposition in civil court, federal or state.Allegations of retaliation were excluded because complaints of this nature do not pertain directly to the existence or consequence of disability. 302 T. A. Van Wieren / Workplace discrimination and autism spectrum disorders: EEOC & ADA Only allegations that were closed by the EEOC during the study period, de? ned as July 26, 1992 through September 30, 2003 were included in the study dataset. Finally, open allegations (i. e. , still under investigation) were excluded from the study. This exclusion exists to insure that all allegations in the study dataset are â€Å"closed,† and as such are known to be either with Merit (i. . , decided by the EEOC to have reasonable cause for discrimination) or Without Merit (i. e. , decided by the EEOC to have no reasonable cause for discrimination). The resulting study dataset includes 328,738 allegations of employment discrimination under ADA Title I that were received, investigated and closed by the EEOC during the study period. These were divided into groups on the basis of disability status including the following two: 1. Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). The primary group of interest for this particular study entails the allegations of discrimination made by individuals who reported having an AS D.The ASD allegations number just 98 (i. e. , 0. 03% of the total number of cases in the study dataset). However, this is the entire population of EEOC-resolved ASD allegations for the study time period. 2. General Disability (GENDIS). The comparison group for this study is a compilation of all allegations made by individuals who reported impairments within the other physical, sensory, or neurological EEOC disability categories (i. e. , allergies, Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, back impairment, cancer, cardiovascular impairment, cerebral palsy, chemical sensitivity, cumulative trauma disorder, cystic ? brosis, diabetes, dis? urement, dwar? sm, epilepsy, gastrointestinal impairment, hearing impairment, HIV, kidney impairment, learning disability, mental retardation, missing digits or limbs, multiple sclerosis, nonparalytic orthopedic impairments, â€Å"other† blood disorder, â€Å"other† neurological impairment, â€Å"other† respiratory impairment, paralysis , speech impairment, tuberculosis, and vision impairment). For this particular study, GENDIS excludes ASD cases. The GENDIS allegations for this study number 174,512 (i. e. , 53. 09% of the total number of cases in the study dataset), and are the entire population of such cases resolved by the EEOC uring the study time period. GENDIS was also used as the primary comparison group for a majority of the other National EEOC ADA Research Project studies completed to date that examined various other EEOC disability categories [4,7,10, 23,25,27,30–32,42]. It is important to consider that the individuals who have actually made allegations of discrimination to the EEOC are likely a smaller number than the sum of individuals who have experienced discrimination. It is likely that many instances of disability-related discrimination go unreported to the EEOC. Individuals may not always realize that they have experienced discrimination.Or, they may perhaps be aware of discrimination but do not understand their rights, know how to initiate a complaint, or they are fearful of retaliation. The small number of allegations made by individuals with ASDs (98) could lead one to conclude that workplace discrimination is not a signi? cant problem for these individuals. The under-representation of people with ASDs in the workforce has been previously reported, and it is well known that most discrimination involves currently employed persons. However, many individuals with ASDs may not understand their civil rights or how to exercise them.The underreporting of discrimination would then make this particular study all the more important for individuals with ASDs and their advocates. The small number of ASD allegations also raises a technical concern. For most statistical tests, small Ns increase the risk of type II errors [12,40], or failure to detect actual differences when they exist. Because of the large number of comparisons that were conducted and in order to minimize this ri sk, the ? level was established at a more stringent level; p < 0. 01. 5. Project design and methods 5. 1. Variables The IMS data was transferred to the research team rom the EEOC via zip disk. Data needed to answer the research questions were extracted, coded, re? ned, and formatted in Microsoft Access using the aforementioned criteria. The result was a study-speci? c dataset in which the underlying unit of measurement is the frequency of allegations, a ratio level of measurement. The other variables for this study are detailed in Table 1. 5. 2. Research objectives The ? rst research objective for this study was descriptive in nature and focused on the most prevalent characteristics associated with the ADA Title I discrimination allegations made by individuals with ASD.The second objective was comparative in nature and T. A. Van Wieren / Workplace discrimination and autism spectrum disorders: EEOC & ADA 303 Table 1 Parameters of Variables CP AGE (ratio measurement) – Years CP GENDER (nominal measurement) – Male – Female CP RACE (nominal measurement) – White – African American – Hispanic/Mexican – Asian – Native American/Alaskan Native – Mixed Ethnicity – Other Ethnicity RP INDUSTRY (nominal measurement) – Agriculture – Construction – Finance, Insurance & Real Estate – Manufacturing – Mining – Public Administration – Retail – Services – Transportation & Utilities – Wholesale – Not Classi? edRP SIZE (interval measurement) – 15–100 employees – 101–200 employees – 201–500 employees – 501 + employees US REGION (nominal measurement) – Northeast – Midwest – South – West – U. S. Territory – Foreign (U. S. businesses operating abroad) ALLEGATIONS (nominal measurement) – Job Obtainment or Membership Issues: * Advertising, Apprent iceship, Exclusion/Segregated Union, Hiring, Prohibited Medical Inquiry, Quali? cations Standards, Referral, Testing, & Training – Job Conditions or Circumstances Issues: * Assignment, Bene? ts, Bene? ts (Insurance), Bene? ts (Pension), Demotion, Discipline, Harassment, Intimidation, Job Classi? ation, Maternity, Promotion, Reasonable Accommodation, Segregated Facilities, Seniority, Tenure, Terms/Conditions, Union Representation, & Wages – Job Maintenance or Preservation: * Constructive Discharge, Discharge, Early Retirement Incentive, Involuntary Retirement, Layoff, Recall, Reinstatement, Severance Pay, & Suspension – Other/Miscellaneous Issues: * Other, Posting Notices, References Unfavorable, & Waiver of ADEA Suit Rights RESOLUTIONS (nominal measurement) – Merit: * Settled with CP Bene? ts, Withdrawn with CP Bene? ts, Successful Conciliation, & Conciliation Failure – Non-Merit: No Cause Finding, Administrative Closure (RP Bankruptcy), Administra tive Closure (CP Missing), Administrative Closure (CP NonResponsive), Administrative Closure (CP Uncooperative), Administrative Closure (Related Litigation), Administrative Closure (Failed Relief), Administrative Closure (Lacks Jurisdiction), & Administrative Closure (CP Withdraws) explored whether or not the characteristics associated with the ASD allegations differ signi? cantly from those of the characteristics associated with GENDIS. The third research objective of this study, predictive in nature, was to explore whether or not the ? al EEOC case resolutions for the ASD allegations could be predicted based upon a function of some of the contextual variables of interest associated with the ASD group. 5. 3. Analysis Data was analyzed to answer the stated research objectives in three primary ways, using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). First, descriptive statistics were used to detail the ASD and GENDIS allegations and various attributes thereof. Second, comparis ons of the various characteristics of the ASD al- 304 T. A. Van Wieren / Workplace discrimination and autism spectrum disorders: EEOC & ADA egations vs. the GENDIS allegations were conducted utilizing Fisher’s exact tests, odds ratios, and t-Tests for independent groups. Third, in an effort to discern whether or not the ? nal resolutions for the ASD allegations could be predicted based upon a function of some of the contextual variables of interest associated with the ASD group, multiple logistic regression analysis was used. 6. Findings 6. 1. Descriptive analysis Based upon the descriptive analysis portion of this study (i. e. , Objective One), it could be said that the pro? le for a typical ASD case entails: (a) a CP who s 36 years old, male and White; (b) a RP in the Retail industry that is either on the large end of the size spectrum (i. e. , 501+ employees) or the smaller end of the spectrum (i. e. , 15–100 employees); (c) origination of the allegation in the Sout hern region of the U. S. ; (d) an allegation that involves an issue of job conditions/circumstances or job maintenance/preservation; and (d) a case resolution that is ruled by the EEOC as non-meritorious. See Table 2 for a more detailed account of the descriptive analysis portion of this study. 6. 2. Comparative analysis Relative to GENDIS, the median age for the ASD roup is younger (36 years vs. 44 years), and is statistically signi? cant (t-Test for independent groups, t = ? 8. 385, df = 86. 134, p =< 0. 000). Allegations in the ASD group are over two times more likely to be made by males than were allegations in the GENDIS group (Fisher’s exact test, p =< 0. 000, O. R. = 2. 30). ASD allegations are over seven and half times more likely than GENDIS to involve CPs who are Native American/Alaskan Native (Fisher’s exact test, p = 0. 001, O. R. = 7. 82). And, relative to GENDIS, allegations from the ASD group are two and a half times more likely to be made against RPs in the Retail industries Fisher’s exact test, p =< 0. 000, O. R. , 2. 52). Statistical analyses revealed no signi? cant differences between the ASD group vs. GENDIS in regards to the regions where allegations originate from, the types of ADA Title I allegations ? led with the EEOC, or ultimate case resolutions decided upon by the EEOC. 6. 3. Predictive analysis Forward, stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis was utilized to establish the best set of variables predictive of merit vs. non-merit ASD case resolutions. The selection of the predictor variables in the ? nal model progressed via steps while the different ndependent predictor variables were inserted into or excluded from the model, in an attempt to realize the largest increase in R 2 . This course of action revealed that RP size, CP race (Native American/Alaskan Native), and RP industry (Service) contributed the most to the explanatory power of the model (? 2 = 33. 176, p =< 0. 000, df = 3), explaining approxima tely 35. 4% to 48. 9% of the variance in the merit vs. non-merit resolution status of ASD cases (i. e. , Cox & Snell R 2 = 0. 354, Nagelkerke R 2 = 0. 489). However, the ? nal number of cases (N ) included in this model decreased from 98 to 76, because of missing data in a couple of he model’s independent variables. Therefore, desiring to include as many of the ASD group’s relatively small number of cases as possible in the ? nal model, another logistic regression analysis was completed. This new analysis made use of simultaneous entry of only the two statistically signi? cant predictor variables that had been found in the forward stepwise analysis (i. e. , RP size and CP industry [Service]). Thus, the new model (N = 86, ? 2 = 18. 553, p =< 0. 000, df = 2) consists of only RP size and RP industry (Service), which serve as the independent predictor variables and explain approximately 19. % to 27. 5% of the variance in the merit vs. non-merit resolution status of the ASD cases (i. e. , Cox & Snell R 2 = 0. 194, Nagelkerke R 2 = 0. 275). This same process for determining the best predictor variables for a multiple logistic regression model, while attempting to avoid as many missing data cases as possible, was recently utilized within the ? eld of Rehabilitation research [39]. The results of the ? nal model are detailed in Table 3. It could be said that the odds of an ASD allegation resulting in a meritorious case resolution increase when: (1) the allegation is made against a Service industryRP, and (2) as the size of the RP increases (i. e. , number of employees). It was found that ASD allegations that were made against RPs in the Service industry are approximately seven times more likely than all other industries (considered together) to experience merit resolutions (i. e. , Exp[? ]= 7. 013). In conjunction with this, it was also found that for each one-unit increase in a RP’s size (e. g. , moving from the 15–100 employee category, to the 101-200 employee category, to the 201– T. A. Van Wieren / Workplace discrimination and autism spectrum disorders: EEOC & ADA 305 Table 2Descriptive Analysis of ASD and GENDIS allegations ASD (F) CP AGE: Age (mean years of age) (72) (26) GENDIS (F) 36 years CP GENDER: – Male – Female % % 44 years 73. 5% 26. 5% (95,282) (79,048) 54. 7% 45. 3% CP RACE: – White (60) 61. 9% (108,803) 63. 1% – African American (14) 14. 4% (35,325) 20. 5% – Hispanic/Mexican (11) 11. 3% (12,535) 7. 3% – Other? (12) 12. 4% (15,718) 9. 1% ? Comprised of EEOC categories: Asian, Native American/Alaskan Native, Mixed Ethnicity & Other Ethnicity RP INDUSTRY: – Agriculture – Construction – Fin. , Ins. , Real Est. – Manufacturing (16) 16. 8% – Mining Public Admin. (8) 8. 2% – Retail (22) 23. 2% – Services (18) 18. 9% – Trans. & Util. (10) 10. 5% – Wholesale – Not Classi? ed (18) 18. 9% Indust ries with less than 5 ASD charges are not reported (32,539) 19. 2% (16,051) (18,129) (49,525) (15,741) 9. 5% 10. 7% 29. 2% 9. 3% (21,472) 12. 7% RP SIZE: – 15–100 employees – 101–200 employees – 201–500 employees – 501 + employees U. S. REGION: – Northeast – Midwest – South – West – U. S. Territory – Foreign (33) (13) (9) (34) 37. 1% 14. 6% 10. 1% 38. 2% (56,161) (20,708) (18,507) (72,297) 33. 5% 12. 4% 11. 0% 43. 1% (7) (24) (47) (20) (0) (0) 7. % 24. 5% 48. 0% 20. 4% 0% 0% (18,667) (52,014) (70,404) (32,782) (641) (4) 10. 7% 29. 8% 40. 3% 18. 8% 0. 4% 0% ALLEGATIONS: – Job Obtainment or Membership – Job Conditions or Circumstances – Job Maintenance or Preservation – Other/Miscellaneous (6) (47) (41) (4) 6. 1% 48. 0% 41. 8% 4. 1% (12,047) (90,162) (68,569) (3,734) 6. 9% 51. 7% 39. 3% 2. 1% RESOLUTIONS: – Merit – Non-Merit (29) (69) 29. 6% 70. 4% (38,3 85) (136,127) 22% 78. 0% 500 employee category, to the 501+ employee category, etc. ) the odds of an ASD allegation being resolved with merit increase by over one and a half times (Exp[? = 1. 836). 7. Discussion 7. 1. Education efforts by the EEOC The EEOC distributes training materials to employees and individuals with disabilities concerning ADA Title I issues. Efforts should be focused on educating Retail and Service industry and larger employers in particular concerning the characteristics of and the unique work-related issues of individuals with ASDs. Furthermore, in attempting to educate individuals with disabilities concerning their rights and options to ? le discrimination allegations, the EEOC should consider including focus on individuals with ASDs in a special ense, given that many of these individuals may not be aware of how to recognize discrimination and/or how to take advantage of the EEOC’s resolution services 306 T. A. Van Wieren / Workplace discrimination an d autism spectrum disorders: EEOC & ADA Table 3 Final model for logistic regression analysis of ASD Merit vs. Non-Merit resolutions Predictor ? SE df Wald – RP Industry 1. 948 0. 627 9. 665 (Service vs. all others) – Responding Party Size 0. 608 0. 218 7. 802 (i. e. , # of employees) Constant ?2. 942 0. 731 16. 195 Model Summary: N = 86 df = 2 ?2 = 18. 553 p =< 0. 000 R2 = 0. 94 (Cox & Snell), 0. 275 (Nagelkerke) ? Signi? cant p Exp(? ) 1 0. 002? 7. 013 95% C. I. for Exp(? ) 1. 397–35. 219 1 0. 005? 1. 836 1. 048–3. 216 1 0. 000 0. 053 at . 01 level (as possibly evidenced in the extremely low number of ASD allegations received by the EEOC to date). 7. 2. Training of ASD support personnel It would be important for personnel who support the vocational efforts of individuals with ASDs (e. g. , rehabilitation counselors, supported employment specialists, etc. ) to understand the unique trends of ASD allegations of ADA Title I discrimination. Compared o many o ther disability groups, ASD allegations are more likely to be made by younger individuals and by males. Employers that perhaps require a special degree of attention when considering ASD vocational issues would include Retail and Service industry employers and larger employers. Rehabilitation professionals also need to know that relatively few ADA Title I allegations are made to the EEOC by people with ASDs, compared to other disability groups, which may possibly mean that individuals with ASDs are especially at risk for not advocating for themselves against employment discrimination.Supportive personnel need to understand that a systems/ecological approach is especially needed in assisting individuals with ASDs to obtain and maintain integrated employment in the competitive, private-sector workplace. The supported employment and positive behavioral support models may be particularly valuable here in assisting individuals with ASDs and their work environments to successfully adapt to each other. After all, it is known that individuals with ASDs can achieve employment success and can be highly regarded by their employers if they receive the appropriate vocational supports [18,22,24].Such vocational supports should include sophisticated and independentlytailored assessment (of both the individual and potential work environments), placement, training, and ongoing support. Based upon the extremely low number of ASD allegations made to the EEOC, it might also appear that a major focus in working with individuals with ASDs would be to assist in increasing their self-advocacy skills. Employers engaged with individuals with ASDs (especially those in the Retail and Service industries and larger employers) also require sophisticated and independently-tailored assistance.Efforts directed towards employers should focus, in particular, on attempting to understand and articulate the workplace’s normative behavioral and communicative standards; educating the employer t o understand how individuals with ASDs may have a dif? cult time meeting these normative standards; helping employers to develop positive frames of reference concerning their employees with ASDs, and assisting employers to develop effective, appropriate, and non-discriminatory responses towards their employees with ASDs. 7. 3. Transition planning to adult working age Individuals with ASDs who ? le allegations of ADATitle I discrimination are more likely to be younger, compared to members of many other disability groups. As discussed previously, this may have something to do with ASDs being lifelong developmental disabilities. Thus, individuals with ASDs enter (and/or attempt to enter) into the adult workforce from day-one with their disability. This is different from some other disabilities that may not be acquired by an individual until later in life or after they have been engaged in the workplace for a length of time. Therefore, long-term transition planning for children and/or y oung adults with ASDs hould include the consideration of avenues by which such individuals can obtain introductory work experience (such as part-time jobs, internship/practicum-style experiences, etc. ) prior to the point that they will be expected to move permanently into the adult workforce. T. A. Van Wieren / Workplace discrimination and autism spectrum disorders: EEOC & ADA Because individuals with ASDs struggle with social perception/interaction and behavior in particular, they may bene? t especially from guided practice and experiences in learning how to appropriately and effectively perceive and respond within work environments. [10] [11] [12] . Conclusion [13] This study revealed unique issues for ASD allegations of ADA Title I discrimination. As a result of this new understanding, some implications and suggestions were offered, aimed at assisting both individuals with ASDs and their work environments to adapt to each other, so as to prevent issues of discrimination. Perhaps one of the most important and obvious issues noted in this study is the extremely low number of ASD allegations received to date by the EEOC. 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Impact of Fdi to Farmers in India

Shanmuga sundaram. S (MBA 1st year student Garden City College) ABSTRACT The goal of this paper is to examine the opportunities, challenges, responsibilities and recommendations for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) impact on farmers in India. Since last two decades India is the attractive and profit oriented market for the investment to developed countries.FDI is an easy path to enter the market of developing countries as India which has vast consumer market, big retail sector, reach aggregate demand, inadequate domestic supply, weak infrastructure, lack in technological background, political instability, low GDP, poor management skill, sick investment promotion strategies, government outlook towards investment, inadequate finance and unemployment all these factors are responsible for the attraction of developed countries about FDI in India.This paper will give a brief explanations regarding how FDI is going to help farmers in India in sectors like Agriculture, Seed production and Retail sector in India and the conclusion part will show that India needs FD I but it must help everyone in India to be benefited.KEY WORDS; FDI, Agriculture, Seed production, Consumer market, Aggregate demand, GDP,1. INTRODUCTIONToday the hot most debated topic and emotive reactions are because of FDI in India is one of the most stirring and promising markets in the globe. Technical and Skilled human resources are the finest available in the world.Private sector is the lifeblood of economic activity in India which is energetic and well spirited. Middle class population of India is greater than the population of the USA or the European Union which provide India a key place in International competition. Starting from a baseline of less than $1 billion in 1990, India reached more than $24. 2 billion to FDI in 2010. A recent UNCTAD survey projected, India as the second most important FDI destination (after China) for transnational corporations during 2010–2012. The significance of FDI is rising heavily due to its all round contributions to the growth of economy.FDI in developing countries like India will help to improve the current GDP. And in India Agriculture is an important sector of Indian economy and accounts for 15% of the Indian gross domestic product (GDP) Agriculture is the backbone of Indian economy if farmers are happy the entire country will move to a success path ahead the role of FDI must benefit the farmers as to go to a strong economic path the farmers must not only produce and sell their product but must make a value added product and the role of FDI must make farmers of India to turn as an entrepreneurs.2. FDI IN AGRICULTURE The FDI inflows to Agriculture services are allowed up to 100% and allowed through the automatic route covering horticulture, floriculture, development of seeds, animal husbandry, pisciculture, aqua culture, cultivation of vegetables, mushroom and services related to agro and allied sectors. Agriculture is the main stay of the Indian economy as it form the backbone of rural India which inhabit ants more than 70% of total Indian population. Only in tea sector 100% FDI is allowed with prior permission.In a statement the department of industry policy and promotion in the ministry of commerce and industry said that FDI policy vide press note 4(2006series) dated February 10 2006 was rationalised. Further it requires company divestment of 26% equity in favour of the Indian partner or Indian public within a maximum period of five years. This also requires approval from the concerned state government in case of change in use of land for such activities.3. ALLOWANCE BY INDIAN GOVERNMENT Farm credit target of 2’25’000 crore for the year 2007-08 has been set with an addition of 50 lakh new farmers to the banking system. * 35 projects have been completed in 2006-07 and addition irrigation potential of 900000 hectares to be created and training of farmers arranged. * A programme for delivering subsidy directly to farmers has been arranged. * Loan facilitation through Agr icultural insurance and NABARD has also been facilitated * Corpus of rural infrastructure development fund has been arranged.4. FDI IN RETAIL (PROS&CONS TO FARMERS) FDI in multi brand retail will boost investment in cold chain facilities and bring down post harvest losses which benefits farmers. India is 2nd largest vegetables producer and 3rd fruit producer if FDI steps in to India the post harvest loss will be in control so to prevent the losses we need investment in the cold chain so more investment to set up such facilities will come with entry of FDI this will benefit both farmers and consumers. 3% of fruits and vegetables have been wasted in India where in Australia are the worlds No 1 in this where only 1% is wasted. India has only 5,300 cold storages so by increasing the well organised supply chain management the wastage can be controlled. So after giant retail companies stepping up to India the problem can be reduced. The company like Wal-Mart supply chain management is hug e and perfect so the losses can be prevented 5. ADVANTAGES India has 600 million farmer’s 1,200 million consumers and 5 million traders both the consumer is benefited by FDI. In Mandi system does not favour farmers because they lose 5% of the value in transportation,10% in broker commission and 10% in quality parameters so direct purchase by large retailers will solve this problemMany village farmers face very difficult to market their product because it takes long distance to travel which includes expenses like transport and labour problem is growing very high so to stop this FDI will make a change.People acquire goods and services at low prices, Savings are possible from routine transactions and Deposit increases from domestic. Good flow of money certainly lead towards sound position of host country.The role of FDI in job creation and conservation is found more favourable . Good inflow of FDI creates new employments in industries and market sectors of host country.FDI incre ases the industrial productivity. With the step of large output, India will boosts exports where the foreign exchange will be high.FDI improves the GDP rate better GDP rate repairs living standard of peoples in host country. If farmers get the money immediately after the harvest they can get ready for the next cycle of production.With the entry of foreign direct investment, the Indian organized retail market has become more competitive in terms of implementing newer business models on the operational format and pricing and reinventing and improving the supply chain.6. DISADVANTAGES If directly taken from farmers what products will come to local market.Foreign companies always try to achieve quick and large refunds on their invested capital. They take interest only in profit oriented ventures and neglect domestic and traditional business from investmentProblem of employment in rural area is not adequately solved. Most of the population of India is lived with unemployment in rural reg ion. FDI favours only urban regions for the investment and neglect rural & backward regions.Indian political environment is not constant. Business policies are affected with the change of political environment. It will not create smooth and fine running FDI policies and benefits to farmer.India will become a slave to foreign countries.7. AGRICULTURAL RETAILINGAs a 2008 ICRIES study of the impact of organised (but Indian owned) found for example, Average price realisation for vegetables is if farmers are selling directly to organised retail is about 25% higher than their products sold to the regulated government mandi. The companies like Bharti Wal-Mart direct purchase from farmers also believed to have augmented incomes by 7 to 10%. Indian government and farmers work alone will not be enough retail chains will have to work with agricultural scientists and farming communities and determine the type and quality of production that will be appropriate for their markets.There will be a p rocess of mutual learning for example in Gujarat the sourcing of certain types of potatoes by Mceain foods using contract farming arrangements is an indicator of opportunities. There has been a lack of investment in the logistics of the retail chain, leading to an inefficient market mechanism in the economy. Though India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables (about 180 million MT/annum), it has a very limited integrated cold-chain infrastructure, with only 5386 stand-alone cold storages having a total capacity of 23. million MT. where 80% of this is used only for potatoes.The chain is highly fragmented and hence, perishable horticultural commodities find it difficult to link to distant markets, including overseas markets, round the year. Storage infrastructure is necessary for carrying over the agricultural produce from production periods to the rest of the year and to prevent distress sales. Lack of adequate storage facilities cause heavy losses to farmers in term s of wastage as well as selling price.8. FDI IN SEED PRODUCTIONIn Agriculture sector FDI is permitted in the development and production of seeds 100% FDI is allowed in fertilizer under automatic route in India. FDI inflows to fertilizers are beneficial for the expansion of the seeds and fertilizer industry in India. But in India the impact of seed companies have created huge loss to the farmers. The genetically modified seeds which is allowed in India since the year 2002.9. IMPACT OF BT SEEDS The entry of BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) seeds has created huge loss to the Indian Agriculture and Farming society. The genetically modified BT seeds which has capable to produce its own insecticide.After the entry of BT to India the poverty and many death rate of farmers increased particularly after the entry of the MNC company (Monsanto) in 2002 for every 30 minutes a farmer in India dies especially after the introduction of BT cotton . Compared to traditional seed genetically engineered seed s are very expensive and have to be repurchased every planting season. Genetically engineered plants require more water for growth and more pesticides than hybrid or traditional cotton seeds. This seeds were heavily marketed in India using film stars and with a price tag 4 to 10 times expensive than hybrid seeds.The total percentage of FDI Inflows to Fertilizers industry in India stood at 0. 26% out of the total foreign direct investment in the country during August 1991 to December2005. Prior to hybrids Farmers were able to harvest their own seeds from each crop to be planted next season. However many genetically engineered seeds contain terminator technology, meaning they have been genetically modified so that the resulting crops don’t produce viable seeds of their own. So as result new seeds must be purchased from the top companies. As a result farmers pay high price because the farmers thinks that they can save the money on pesticides.India has a traditional farming techn iques were India have taught great farming techniques to the entire world. But so far now 2 lakh farmers have been committed suicide particularly the highest in Maharashtra state. The entry of Monsanto an American based multinational company has destroyed 25% of farmers living in India. The most important is the turnover of Monsanto is 25 thousand crores which is high than India’s agricultural budget. So if we allow this type of companies like Monsanto through FDI after few years the total Indian economy will be in trouble. Table 1Source: Face sheet of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from April 2000 to March 201110. CONCLUSION To conclude this paper on FDI impact on farmers is likely to ensure adequate flow of capital into rural economy in a manner likely to promote the welfare of all sections of society, particularly farmers and consumers. It will bring about improvements in farmer income and agricultural growth and assist in lowering consumer price inflation due to the curr ent scenario of inefficient supply chain, lack of proper storage facilities and presence of multi-level intermediaries between farmers and direct consumers.FDI- driven â€Å"modern retailing† being a direct interface between farmers and retailers trigger a series of reactions which in the long run rural sphere can be one of the justifications for introducing FDI in agricultural retailing but the government should put in place an exclusive regulatory framework.11. REFERENCES Economic Reforms, Foreign Direct Investment and its Economic Effects in India by Chandana Chakraborty Peter Nunnenkamp March 2006Reserve bank of India online databases on FDI in farming Retrieved from (https://reservebank. rg. in/cdbmsi/servlet/login/)Retrieved from blog’s at Economic time’s news paper.Retrieved from publications at dipp. nic. in.Retrieved from tamilnadu agricultural university Coimbatore publications at www. tnau. ac. in/.D. Gupta, â€Å"Whither the Indian Village, â€Å"E conomic and Political Weakly, February2005.P Shivakumar and S Senthilkumar, ‘Growing Prospective of Retail Industry in and around India†, Advances in Management, Vol 4(2), 2011.

Portrait of a Teacher Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Portrait of a Teacher - Essay Example rtunities to express opinions, as well as share stories and experiences; inviting students to speak up and ask questions; and even to express contentions and disagreement to arguments. The educational environment in the U.S. perfectly encourages principles of democracy in education through voicing out what is in one’s mind whether or not, it is supportive of the educators’ points of views and perspectives. Critical and analytical thinking and expressing of one’s thoughts, concepts, and ideas are frequently encouraged. Nothing conflicted with this standard as compared to a culturally diverse elementary school I went to over 20 years ago. There was no democracy in the classroom back then. The teacher would always be the one to choose what we do and how to do it. Critical thinking was not encouraged at all. When an educational structure or any educator imposes one’s thoughts and actions to another, the principles of democracy would be deemed violated. However, one must realize that democracy in education must be practiced while adhering to rules of conduct and discipline along the standards enumerated within a learning environment. As emphasized in the discourse on Democratic Principles in Education, â€Å"discipline in an educational institution is closely related to the behaviour of both teachers and pupils, their motives and their understanding of each other† (Unit 4: Democratic Principles in Education 55). Therefore, as early as elementary education, molding the appropriate princip les of democracy in education should be inculcated by teachers to establish the appropriate foundation for respect, understanding and discipline. As a future teacher, the methods by which a classroom climate would promote the standard of adhering to the principles of democracy in education are: (1) respecting that each student is unique and diverse whose needs and competencies differ and therefore should be addressed according to the development of a â€Å"balanced and harmonious