Tag Archives: Americans with Disabilities Act

Article: “ADA 30 in Color’ panel discusses lived perspectives of disabled BIPOC on 30th anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act”

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“To mark the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the #ADA30InColor online event was held July 26 to discuss a compilation of essays that reflect on the past, present and future of disabled people who are Black, Indigenous or people of color. The panel discussion included several authors who had contributed their essays and was moderated by communications and inclusion specialist Andraéa LaVant.

LeVant started off the discussion by asking Alice Wong why she created this series. Wong, the founder of the Disability Visibility Project and editor of the “ADA 30 in Color” series, said she had wanted to “recenter the work and the wisdom” of the disabled BIPOC community.” Continue reading at The Daily Californian.

Article: “One Laid Groundwork For The ADA; The Other Grew Up Under Its Promises”

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“We will no longer allow the government to oppress disabled individuals. We want the law enforced.”

Judy Heumann, a founder of the Disability Rights Movement

“Before the Americans with Disabilities Act granted people with disabilities greater protection and accessibility, a little-known law set the groundwork.

In 1977, Judy Heumann helped lead a peaceful protest that forced the government to follow through with Section 504. As part of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, the law would force hospitals, universities and other public spaces that received federal money, to remove barriers to accessibility for all Americans. But its implementation was long delayed over the costs necessary to retrofit buildings to comply with the law.” Continue reading this article, which includes a 4-minute podcast of Judy Heumann speaking about the significance of The Americans with Disabilities Act, at NPR.

Article: “How the ADA Gave Birth to a Black Sexpert”

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Article Preview: “I grew up in a world after the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act (504). In 1964, 1965, and 1968 the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act respectively were enacted, bringing an end to the Jim Crow system of legal racial segregation. As a black American woman with multiple disabilities, these laws had a profound impact in my life.” Continue reading this article with audio by Robin Wilson-Beattie at the Disability Visibility Project.

Article: “The ADA has shaped physical space for 30 years. The internet hasn’t caught up”

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Article Preview: “This summer, the United States is marking a momentous milestone: the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, or the ADA. The act, of which Tony was the primary author, was without a doubt the single most important piece of legislation for an entire generation of Americans with disabilities…But while the ADA released a torrent of powerful change in the physical world, the digital world has yet to catch up. In fact, 30 years after the passage of the ADA, we are more reliant than ever on digital access, and still woefully far from ensuring accessibility on every digital experience.” Continue reading this article by Tony Coehlo and Heath Thompson at Fast Company.

Dorian is traveling down a sidewalk in his wheelchair on a sunny day with a small dog in his lap.

Article: “30 years after the ADA, disability justice activists are rethinking what true equity looks like”

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Article Preview: “When the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law 30 years ago, it was the culmination of decades of activism, sacrifice and struggle by people with disabilities to protect basic rights long denied. The New York Times called the law at the time ‘the most sweeping anti-discrimination measure since the Civil Rights Act of 1964.’ For the first time, discrimination against people with disabilities was prohibited by law. The ADA required reasonable accommodations in transportation, employment and public services. But as with many things related to civil rights, too often the reality has not lived up to the law’s promise.” Continue reading this article by Naomi Ishisaka at the Seattle Times.

Article: “5 Things Everyone Should Know About People With Disabilities”

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Article Preview: “What do you really need to know about disability? If you’re not disabled yourself, and don’t have a child, spouse, brother or sister, or parent with disabilities, how knowledgeable and up to date on disability issues are you expected to be? When the Americans with Disabilities Act passed 30 years ago, expectations were lower than they are today, but not much. One of the undisputed strengths of the ADA is that it provided fairly detailed guidelines for how to accommodate a wide range of physical and mental disabilities.” Continue reading this article by Andrew Pulrang at Forbes.

Article: “My disability taught me that not all workers need to be the same”

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I was born in Olympia in 1983, seven years before the passage of the Americans with Disability Act. July 26 marks the 30th anniversary of this hard-fought piece of civil rights legislation, which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in schools, transportation, jobs and public spaces. As an infant and toddler, I received early intervention services and vision therapy. These services were the introduction to the message I would receive throughout my childhood — if I just worked hard enough, I could fix my vision (not true!), overcome my disability and be just like a normal kid. Consequently, I pretended I could see things I couldn’t. I tried not to tilt my head at “weird” angles, hold things too close, use large print or binoculars, or ever ask for help. I spent 33 years trying to fake being normal, and it was exhausting.” Continue reading this article by Anna Zivarts at the Seattle Times.

Article: “What Disability Pride Means to Me”

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Article Preview: “This July marks the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Americans With Disabilities Act in 1990. For the first time, Americans with disabilities were going to have equal opportunity and access like those without — or that’s what was supposed to happen. There is still a lot of progress to be made 30 years later. All these years later, I’m finally hearing about Disability Pride Month. I’ve lived with cerebral palsy for 27 years, and not once have I been aware of it. I didn’t even know what disability pride even was. After looking around at other ways people identify themselves and celebrate pride, such as in the gay community, I’m learning what disability pride means to me. Disability pride means that disability isn’t a condition, it’s a way of life. Disability pride means not living in shame of who you are simply because you cannot walk without a limp or are unable to work.” Continue reading this article by Becca R. at MSN.com.

Article: “Why Disabled People Are Dehumanized and Discriminated Against Despite the ADA”

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Article Preview: “July is Disability Pride Month in the USA, a month commemorating the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) that was enacted in 1990. The purpose of the ADA is to prevent discrimination against the disabled population in America, and although this act has brought us a long way, we still do not have equal rights and opportunities. Discrimination against the disabled community is very much alive and kicking in America.” Continue reading this article by Grace Robinson at Yahoo.com.