Celebrating and fighting for #ADAeveryday

"I now lift my pen to sign this Americans with Disabilities Act and say let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down".

Those were the exact words spoken by former President George H. W. Bush during a momentous occasion on Thurs., July 26, 1990 as he was flanked by two icons of the disability rights movement, Evan J. Kemp, Jr. and Justin Dart, who helped usher in a new era of our nation becoming more inclusive and accessible to persons with disabilities.

Today marks the 30th anniversary of that incredible day and although America (and the world) has come a long way in becoming a more accessible and inclusive society, there is so much more work yet to be done to create true equality for our disability community.

For three decades now, the ADA has created greater access and opportunities for persons with disabilities.  Among its ground breaking mandates were sweeping requirements for multi-level buildings to have elevators and zero-step entrances, restrooms needed to have larger stalls to accommodate wheelchair users and new construction apartments had to have a certain percentage of their units be accessible.  Public transportation systems needed to provide wheelchair accommodating buses, taxis, trains and boats.  Retail stores had to space out their merchandise so as to not create physical barriers and offer lower countertops. 

Hardly any part of the economy was left untouched by the vast array of requirements the law mandated.  Our nation is vastly more accessible because of the ADA and this landmark legislation remains something to be excited and proud about now, even after the passage of 30 years. 

While the ADA brought much-needed improvements to many aspects of the lives of persons with disabilities, it also fell short significantly on others. For instance, lack of accountability and enforcement of businesses, including governmental agencies at all levels, failing to meet the requirements of the ADA are still quite rampant. Many businesses, even after 30 years, are not easily accessible to wheelchair users.  Special interests and lobbying groups continue to chip away at ADA’s requirements related to coverage of essential medical services and equipment as well as accessible housing. Airlines continue to damage and destroy thousands of mobility devices each year during flights. Hospitality services, such as hotels and resorts, fail miserably for providing ADA-accessible rooms and services.  Event venues continue with offering a tiny number of accessible seats.  Insufficient availability of disabled parking is a nationwide problem.

Just because it is unlawful to discriminate against job applicants with disabilities does not mean that such discrimination doesn't occur.  Just because a resource should be accessible to a disabled person does not mean it will be.  The ADA is violated daily all across the country and these violations are often systemic.  Legislation is important and essential but fundamental and lasting change occurs when hearts and minds and attitudes, not just codified rules, change. 

Further, disability advocacy groups must fight each year for basic improvements to quality of life for their members, such as accessibility to basic services and equal representation in the workforce. Much like advocates for racial justice are still needing to advocate to vindicate the promises of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, advocates for disability rights must continue to champion the ADA of 1990. 
 
And that's why it's important to remind ourselves that access and non-discrimination are not just legal obligations or abstract values but they are also ongoing processes, conscious choices and priorities that we must frequently re-affirm through policies and actions.  We never need an anniversary to ask ourselves, our companies, our governments, our clubs, churches, temples, mosques, etc., "What could we be doing to make the world, or our little corner of it, more accessible to more people so as to help ensure that no one is unfairly left out in the cold?"  Asking and trying to answer that question is what the ADA, in spirit, is all about. 

This year, our government at the federal, state and local levels can better prioritize and support the millions of individuals with disabilities represented by the ADA by addressing gaps that would improve basic rights, accessibility and better promote equality for this important constituency. But this should not be an annual reminder. We must fight for #ADAeveryday.