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Today (ToDAY!) is the 30th anniversary of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and I'm about to let y'all know why you should care. 1/
The ADA was signed into law in 1990 by George H.W. Bush with large bipartisan support. It's was the first major civil rights bill that protected people with disabilities and granted access to all areas of civic & public life. But it wasn't a painless process of getting there. 2/
If you'd like some context and history, there is a documentary film called Crip Camp on Netflix that's remarkable.
https://www.netflix.com/title/81001496 3/
https://www.netflix.com/title/81001496 3/
The ADA prohibits discrimination & guarantees people with disabilities have the same opportunities to participate in the mainstream of American life -- to enjoy employment opportunities, to purchase goods & services & to participate in government programs and services. 4/
Prior to the ADA, there was broad acceptance of and general support for institutionalization of disabled adults and children. It's hard to imagine, but hospitals, banks, pharmacies, stores, etc. were not accessible to wheelchairs or people with limited mobility. 5/
Things we take for granted today--like curb-cuts for wheeled devices, ramps, guide-dog and assistance animals, braille and audible cues for the vision-impaired, closed-caption subtitles on movies and TV, ASL translations--all the result of the ADA. 6/
Modeled after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin – and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 -- the ADA is an "equal opportunity" law for people with disabilities. 7/
March 12, 1990: More than 1,000 protesters came to DC. To symbolize the barriers more than 60 activists abandoned their crutches, wheelchairs & other mobility devices & began crawling up the 83 stone steps that lead to the Capitol. 8/
(The young woman seen crawling is Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, 8 years old at the time with cerebral palsy, the climb up the stairs took almost an hour. But she was did it.) 9/
Over 61 million Americans –26% of adults in the United States--live with some type of disability. Given COVID, that number is likely to rise. If you can't support disability rights because its the damn right thing to do, if you live long enough, disability *will* affect you. 10/
We have a long way to go. While the law is clear, we are plagued by rampant non-compliance in stores, housing, access to public transportation--and the current administration is allowing erosions on all fronts, especially in education. 11/
If you'd like to learn more, I highly recommend this as a starting point. The Autism Society is places developmental disabilities at the center of their work, but the overlap in disability advocacy and law means that we are all working with each other. https://www.autism-society.org/living-with-autism/legal-resources/ 12/
Everyone you know is touched by and benefits from these civil rights. Lend your support. Educate yourself. This isn't a partisan issue. It's for ALL OF US. Quite literally. /fin.
Happy Birthday ADA. Let's keep working!!
Happy Birthday ADA. Let's keep working!!
If you'd like to support people working and educating within the community, here are some resources: https://www.audible.com/pd/Disability-Visibility-First-Person-Stories-from-the-Twenty-First-Century-Audiobook/0593216466?source_code=GPAGBSH0508140001&ipRedirectOverride=true&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_8qk14Df6gIVAq_ICh1wmAJTEAQYASABEgIJR_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
