West Virginia Code 18-10O-2 – Legislative findings
The Legislature finds that:
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 18-10O-2
- Disability history: means the people, events and timelines of the development and evolution of services to, and the civil rights of, people with disabilities. See West Virginia Code 18-10O-4
- State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
(1) According to the two thousand United States Census over four hundred thousand West Virginians have disabilities, which is nearly twenty-four percent of the state's general population;
(2) In order to ensure the full inclusion of people with disabilities into society, it is necessary to expand the public's knowledge, awareness and understanding of the history of disabilities and the disability rights movement;
(3) The disability rights movement is a civil rights movement that is an important part of the history of this state and this country;
(4) October is recognized nationally as Disability Awareness Month; and
(5) By designating the third week of October as Disability History Week, students and the public will have the opportunity to learn about the history and contributions of people with disabilities.