Description
Unit 7: Ethics, ADA, and Legal Considerations
Introduction
In this unit you explore the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504, and ethical considerations. You will review the U.S. Department of Education website to learn the differences between Section 504 Accommodations and the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). By having a greater understanding of the differences you will be better equipped to advocate for school-age children in need of these services. You will also explore the Americans with Disabilities Act and the changes that have been implemented since its inception. In addition, you will explore the ethical considerations and codes of ethics as it applies to your specialization. You will review the current National Career Development Association (NCDA) Code of Ethics and an application of the expectations. This unit prepares you to integrate professional ethical guidelines and legal requirements into your work. ethics ADA and Legal Considerations.
Objectives
To successfully complete this learning unit, you will be expected to:
- Identify laws and regulations relevant to issues in career counseling.
- Identify legal considerations regarding career education for students with disabilities.
- Identify applicable ethical codes and standards relevant to career counseling. ADA and Legal Considerations.
- Learning Activities
Unit 7 Study 1
Studies Readings
Use your Career Counseling text to read the following:
- Chapter 12, “Career Counseling for Individuals with Disabilities,” pages 281–295.
- Chapter 8, “On Being an Ethical Career Counselor,” pages 206–219.
Use your Using Assessment Results text to read the following:
- Chapter 4, “Ethics and Assessment,” pages 44–52.
Use the Internet to complete the following:
- Read the U.S. Department of Education’s, Office for Civil Rights’ FAQ page, “Protecting Students with Disabilities,” for a review of Section 504 and the Individual’s with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
- Read the U.S. Department of Labor, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
- Read the National Career Development Association’s Code of Ethics.
- Read another professional source’s most current Code of Ethics. For example, you could use any of the following as your professional source:
It is recommended that you select a source relevant to your specialization or use the ACA Code of Ethics. You will use this information in this unit’s discussion activities. ADA and Legal Considerations.
Unit 7 Discussion 1: 1 page needed with minimum of 250 words and 2 references.
Ethics ADA and Legal Considerations
In this discussion you will demonstrate your understanding of the American Disabilities Act and Section 504. Address the following in your post:
- Describe how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504, and the law influence working with students who have a disability.
- Share a case that you have worked on in the past or invent one that will apply to this discussion. You can change the information as you need to in order to address the topics in the discussion. For example, you may change the age or ethnicity of the client. Remember to maintain the confidentiality of the client.
- Apply the legal understanding you have gained from this unit’s Web sites and coursework to your approach for working with a student who has a disability. ethics ADA and Legal Considerations.
Unit 7 Discussion 2: 1 page needed with minimum of 250 words and 2 references.
Codes of Ethics
Using the Taneka case scenario from your Unit 2 assignment, apply two Codes of Ethics from our professional bodies (using the most current codes). One needs to come from NCDA and the other can be of your choice from the suggested list in this unit’s studies. Embellish the case as you need to in order to apply two ethical codes to the case. For example, you can say that the counselor is starting to have romantic feelings towards the client. State which code would apply (ACA, A.5.b), and how you would handle the situation. Make sure you use both codes (NCDA and, for example, ACA). Ethics ADA and Legal Considerations.
- Resources
- 2015 NCDA Code of Ethics.
- American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA).
- National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC).
- American School Counselor Association (ASCA).
- American Counseling Association (ACA).
- Scenario
Taneka, a 17-year-old African-American female, is a high school junior. She is the eldest of three siblings living with her single-parent mother. Her mother has worked for the past 15 years at a manufacturing plant. Her father has not been a part of Taneka’s life. ethics ADA and Legal Considerations.
As the eldest, Taneka has held major responsibilities throughout her life to support her working mother, such as caring for her younger siblings: Derrick, now age 14, and Kenya, age 12. These early duties reinforced development of her natural leadership skills. Taneka has been recognized from an early age for being mature, responsible, and dependable. As her siblings have grown, she has been able to have part-time jobs, most recently as a salesperson at a teen fashion store in the local mall. Ethics ADA and Legal Considerations.
It was here that she first realized she had a knack for dealing with people, and they responded well to her—employers, co-workers, and customers alike. She was recently approached by her supervisor to consider participating in the company’s employee leadership training program.
This has caused Taneka to start thinking about post-secondary educational possibilities. Previously she had thought college was out of her reach, due to the limited financial resources of her family and no history of anyone in her family ever attending college. As such, she had not previously given much importance to her grades. Rather than participating in extracurricular school activities, she focused on working. She is on track for graduating with her class next year and has a current grade point average of 2.05. ethics ADA and Legal Considerations.
Taneka is now questioning her previous assumption about college or other post-secondary educational possibilities, but she does not have a clear idea of what she would like to pursue as a career. Choosing a career and a post-secondary program to prepare for it, seeking financial support, and navigating the admissions procedure all remain mysteries to her.