The Americans with Disabilities Act Turns 20

posted on Jul 26 by Amelia in the Advocacy, Disability Law, Disability News, Wheelchair Accessibility, Wheelchair Accessibility Laws category

The Americans with Disabilities Act, a civil rights law signed on this day 20 years ago, was created to prohibit discrimination based on disability.  This in turn has resulted in accessibility being a priority for public places including curb cuts on city streets, wheelchair ramps for buildings, braille on hotel doors and elevators, better accessible transportation, wheelchair accessible buses, reasonable accommodations for the disabled that employers must provide, and a guarantee for so many people with disabilities that they will not be discriminated against unfairly at the workplace. Although the journey is not complete, the ADA has brought so much already to the 15% of Americans who are disabled.

Celebrations of this day have been happening all over the United States from Aaron Fotheringham performing his famous wheelchair backflip, art galleries by disabled artists, music, displays, marches, parades, and President Barack Obama is even holding an event this evening at the White House to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Changes are ongoing and sometimes not quite expected including 5 grassy “relief stations” for travelers with guide dogs at the Los Angeles International Airport. The facilities includes bowls and fake fire hydrants.

Critics claim that some places may even go a little overboard with accessibility as there is talk of a Lifeguard station on Clearwater Beach in Florida that is installing an $18,000 wheelchair lift for the building only used by lifeguards.

Even the dugout at the Bright House Field where the Philadelphia Phillies have their spring training has a wheelchair lift that has sat unused for 7 years. In contract, other places are in need of accessibility that are overlooked, but it’s an ongoing effort that may never end.

The law was signed into effect by President George H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990. He reassured Americans his Administration and Congress were “committed to containing the costs that may be incurred” and borrowed words from President Reagon’s Berlin Wall speech, “Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down.”

Senator Harkin speaks about the Americans with Disabilities Act and remembers a time before the ADA was signed including people climbing stairs with their hands, being unable to cross the street without curb cuts, and even the attitudes of people with disabilities being changed.  The barriers of discrimination have been broken down to create equality amongst all Americans. “The ADA has broken down barriers, created opportunities, and transformed lives.”

To read more about the Americans with Disabilities Act, visit our article: Wheelchair Accessibility Laws and How it All Began and the official website for the ADA at http://www.ada.gov/