Everyone has rights, including you!
The word “rights” can mean two things. Sometimes, rights are things that the law gives you. These are called legal rightsRights that the law gives to you., and the government has to make sure you get these rights.
The second meaning of “rights” is “things that you should have.” People might say you have the “right” to be happy, but the government doesn’t have to make sure that you are happy.
This chapter of the book will explain what legal rights you have. We will talk about laws that protect people with disabilities. This chapter focuses on rights in the United States of America, but other countries have their own disability rights laws.You can learn more about those at the end of this chapter.