Image courtesy of ADA.gov
Over the last 33 years, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has been instrumental in upholding the rights of people with disabilities both visible, like our community, and invisible. Join us in celebrating this significant anniversary as ADA was signed into law on July 26, 1990. The White House has also honored this historic occasion with a signed proclamation from President Biden. This landmark piece of legislation has continued to pave the way for Americans with disabilities to be fully included in society and prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability.
For more than three decades the ADA has functioned to protect those with disabilities in many areas of public life and guarantee that they have the same opportunities as everyone else. According to the CDC, 1 in 4 people in the United States have a disability so the necessity of this law cannot be overemphasized.
Applicable to everyday activities, the ADA sets out requirements in the following categories: employment, state and local government services, public transit, businesses that are open to the public, telecommunications, and other important requirements.
For those who live with disabilities to not place limitations on themselves, it is imperative that they are not limited first by society. This is the commitment that the ADA was created to ensure for all Americans, now and for generations to come.
Every year, the National Council for Independent Living (NCIL) leads disability advocates from across the country on a march to celebrate, commemorate, and remind people of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This year they will have over 500 disability advocates joining in the march. Whitney Doyle, Government Relations Director and Dante’ Daniel, Manager of Public Policy will represent the Amputee Coalition as our nation honors the 33rd anniversary of this monumental disability civil rights law.
Visit ADA.gov to learn more about the American Disabilities Act and to better understand your rights.