The Americans with Disabilities Act: 20 Years Strong!
July 20th, 2010 was a night full of guest speakers, dancing, food, music, camaraderie and high spirits. It was a night where, gathered in a large conference room, hundreds of individuals of various ages, backgrounds and disabilities marked the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) and American Association of Persons with Disabilities (AAPD) celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Rolling into the conference room at the Hyatt hotel, I found myself reflecting on the ADA and coming into communion with a group of people who have positively benefited from such legislation.
Signed into law by former president George W. Bush in 1990, the ADA is a civil rights law that has helped to eliminate discrimination against citizens with disabilities in the areas of employment, transportation, telecommunications and public accommodations. While only 20 years old, the ADA has helped push America forward toward building a more inclusive society founded on the principle outlined by Congress which acknowledges that “physical or mental disabilities in no way diminish a person’s right to fully participate in all aspects of society…”[1] The opportunity to be integrated into society and be a fully participatory member should be available to each and every citizen, regardless of ability.
While I was born in 1987 (3 years before the ADA’s passage), I have gone through most of my life with the ADA already on the books and with the expectation that buildings and transportation will be accessible to everyone and the understanding that employment discrimination is unacceptable. Even though I come from a generation of young people who expect the full implementation of the ADA, I acknowledge that I must give pause to the fact that compared to years before the ADA, physical access into buildings, accessible transportation and integration of citizens with disabilities into the general workforce was not as commonplace as it is today.
That said, we are 20 years down the road past the passage of the ADA and yet still face many barriers of inequality. We continue to hear stories of people being excluded from their communities unable to access reliable public transportation and left with few housing options. We know that individuals are still unable to have complete access to technology and are prevented from realizing their fullest potential within the workforce. Citizens with disabilities still face stereotypes, ignorant attitudes and patronizing actions of those who have failed to push the envelope forward and honor the principles that the Americans with Disabilities Act was built upon.
As we approach the 20th Anniversary of the ADA – July 26th – let us seek to fulfill the words of former disability rights activist Justin Dart, who once called for “…solidarity among all who love justice, all who love life, to create a revolution that will empower every single human being to govern his or her life, to govern the society and to be fully productive of life quality for self and for all.”[2] Let us make a recommitment to affirm the values and goals of the ADA and see that true and complete integration becomes a reality for every citizen of our society.
By: Stephanie Birmingham
Public Policy Associate
APSE
