Language education is a critical element of advocacy for the disenfranchised – including those who have mental disabilities. This post will explore how language is vitally important to ensuring that mentally disabled individuals understand their rights, are able to exercise them, and have assistance with legal matters as necessary. The post will incorporate lessons from the language education and research fields relevant to helping individuals with mental and cognitive disabilities.
The Center for Applied Linguistics has a variety of offerings that could help persons who have mental disabilities. Firstly, the organization has a Language in Adult Education Center, which works to improve the effectiveness of adult basic education (ABE) programs across the country through professional development, technical assistance, and research. They also have an Adult English Language Intensive Program, which I suspect would appeal to most American adults, a home teaching program, and other legal resources.
Mentally disabled individuals may have issues understanding legal terms, which is often an issue with educators who are not trained in special education. However, cases such as Barham v. Overton can be explored to determine the best way to move forward. When individuals have the opportunity to learn about their rights, they are far more likely to know them.
However, dually employed professionals can use applied linguistics in their own classrooms to help disabled students, if they have previously obtained a PhD in applied linguistics. Such professionals understand how to break down complex ideas and make them digestible for lonely individuals – including those who have psychiatric disabilities.
Additionally, there are a variety of common terms that refer to the process. For instance, when a person is diagnosed with a mental disability, they may be found to be “not guilty by reason of insanity.” Generally, this means that the individual did not know their actions were wrong at the time of the offense. Another important legal concept is “civil commitment,” which is the process of court-ordered placement in a facility.
“An Overview of Mental Disability Law” is a vital resource for educators and students alike. The site is a part of a larger book called Mental Disability Law: A Primer for the Legal Practitioner – making it accessible to all. For instance common laws such as duces tecum are explained along with a range of other legal terminology.