As Americans, we celebrate our country’s independence every July. How fitting it is that we, the disability community, a proud part of this great United State of America, celebrate the Anniversary of the signing of not only the Declaration of Independence, but also the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
MSCOD is ready to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the signing of the ADA, and in the coming days will introduce you to some of the advances brought about by this ground breaking civil rights legislation. We’re calling it 25 Days of the ADA.
In almost poetic language, Congress acknowledged in its Findings and Purpose that –
“… physical or mental disabilities in no way diminish a person’s right to fully participate in all aspects of society…”
The intent of Congress in passing the ADA was to mandate clear, strong, consistent, enforceable standards addressing discrimination of individuals with disabilities, and further declared that –
“…the Nation’s proper goals regarding individuals with disabilities are to assure equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for such individuals.”
The five Titles of the ADA prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities in public accommodations, services and transportation; employment; state and local government activities; and telecommunications. We’ll explore these topics over the coming days, and hope you will discover the rich legacy and promising future of the ADA in our culture. Come join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter, and party with us in person on July 26th at the MN Historical Center.
Although our goals are not yet fully realized, we still have great cause to celebrate this 25th Anniversary of the ADA.
Day 25: 25 Years of the ADA
Day 24: Thanks to the ADA… The Olmstead Decision
Day 23: Thanks to the ADA… Education
Day 22: Thanks to the ADA… Employment
Day 21: Thanks to the ADA… Transportation Access
Day 20: Thanks to the ADA… Accessible Design
Day 19: Thanks to the ADA… Audible Assistance
Day 18: Thanks to the ADA… Alerting & Communication Devices
Day 17: Thanks to the ADA… CART
Day 16: Thanks to the ADA… Braille
Day 15: Thanks to the ADA… Currency Identifiers
Day 14: Thanks to the ADA… Media Access
Day 13: Thanks to the ADA… Pedestrian Access
Day 12: Thanks to the ADA… Readily Achievable Barrier Removal
Day 11: Thanks to the ADA… Service Animals
Day 10: Thanks to the ADA… Disability Parking
Day 9: Thanks to the ADA… Telecommunications Relay Services
Day 8: Thanks to the ADA… Accommodations – Reasonable, Public and Workplace
Day 7: The ADA in 25 Days
Day 6: Title V of the Americans with Disabilities Act – MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Day 5: Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act – TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Day 3: Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act – PUBLIC SERVICES & PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Day 2: Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act – EMPLOYMENT