Final answer:
To protect individual rights and ensure equality of opportunity, especially for vulnerable individuals, various acts, such as the Rehabilitation Act, Education for all Handicapped Children Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, have been enacted in the U.S.
Step-by-step explanation:
The legislative framework to protect the rights of individuals and provide equality of opportunity for all, especially vulnerable people, includes various acts such as the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Education for all Handicapped Children Act of 1975 in the United States. These acts ensure that it is illegal to discriminate against people with disabilities in federal employment, programs receiving federal funding, and that public schools are required to educate children with disabilities. Moreover, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 is another landmark law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of ability.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 are additional critical federal actions that aimed to improve opportunities and end discrimination on various grounds including race, color, religion, or national origin. Efforts to include protections for LGBTQ individuals, such as the proposed Equality Act of 1974 and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), indicate ongoing struggles and progress in civil rights legislation.