2015 Reports

First Amendment Rights for Disabled

Connors, Christopher Paul; Smith, Raymond Arthur

First amendment rights for the disabled is not the biggest issue in the United States, but still one deserving of attention. There are over a billion people in the world with disabilities, many of which struggle for basic first amendment rights. Several cases throughout history have shed some light on people with disabilities fighting for their free speech rights. For example, in 2005, George Mason University law student Carin Constantine sued GMU, alleging discrimination in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). She also alleged retaliation in violation of her First Amendment free speech rights. This case illuminates an issue that receives very little attention in the world today.