A cause for celebration

Monday marked the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

A landmark piece of legislation, the ADA broke down barriers to allow persons with disabilities to fully participate in all aspects of our communities. It was signed into law by President George H. W. Bush in 1990 as, “An act to establish a clear and comprehensive prohibition of discrimination on the basis of disability.” 

President George W. Bush signed the ADA Amendment Act into law on September 25, 2008 (with changes effective January 1, 2009).  The amendments were intended to give broader protections to workers with disabilities and to revisit court rulings that Congress deemed too restrictive.
 
The ADA is a wide-ranging civil rights law that prohibits, under certain circumstances, discrimination based on disability. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, it affords protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age and religion. 

Disability is defined by the ADA as “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity,” and the determination of whether any particular condition is considered a disability is made on a case-by-case basis. 
 
The ADA will never completely level the playing field for people with disabilities, but the surface is far smoother than ever before. It has created access to and opportunities for social, economic and political participation in community life that clearly did not exist before its enactment. The ADA was the sledgehammer that broke down the walls of exclusion that existed for people with disabilities for so many decades. In effect, it guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services and telecommunications.
 
Some of the more significant results of the ADA include:
· The requirement and establishment of telephone relay services for individuals who are deaf and use telecommunications devices (TDDs) or similar devices.
· The requirement that all new fixed-route, public transit buses be accessible and that supplementary para-transit services be provided for people with disabilities who cannot use fixed-route bus service.
· The requirement that places of public accommodation include an accessible path of travel and that bathrooms, telephones and drinking fountains serving these areas be made accessible.
· The requirement of appropriate access to auxiliary aids and services such as sign language interpreters, assistive listening devices, note-takers and written materials for people with hearing impairments and qualified readers, taped texts and Braille or large print materials for people with vision impairments.
· The requirement of access to reasonable employment accommodations such as job restructuring, modifying work schedules, assistive technology and/or reassignment to a vacant position.
 
Other ancillary results of the ADA have occurred as well, such as banks that have installed talking ATM machines, restaurants that permit assistance dogs into their eateries, volume controls on pay phones and Braille signs in elevators, just to name a few. Business no longer views the ADA as a burden to their bottom lines. Most, in fact, view accessibility as good for business.
 
The ADA has eliminated many of the barriers that previously segregated people with disabilities from the rest of society. More importantly, however, the ADA put disability issues at the forefront and in the minds of all Americans. It has changed the attitudes of everyone.

It brought dignity and respect to people with disabilities and support for our issues and concerns. For that, we all should be extremely thankful for the ADA.

Happy 20th Anniversary, ADA!  A true cause for celebration!
 
Phil Pangrazio is the executive director of Arizona Bridge to Independent Living.

Submitted photo