Celebrating the ADA

2015 is the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This law provided landmark protections for people with disabilities including requirements for accessibility and protection from discrimination.

There are a variety of different events happening around the country to honor and recognize the passage of the ADA. Several events are taking place in Austin including a visit by the ADA Legacy Tour Bus and a Texas Trailblazers event recognizing the contributions of Texans to the passage of the ADA.

Our office had the opportunity to host a photo exhibit called The Road To the Americans with Disabilities Act, highlighting the struggles and protests by people with disabilities prior to the ADA. The photos were displayed on the first floor of our building and we had a lot of great interest in them.

The Road to the Americans with Disabilities Act

The ADA also provided protection for people with disabilities to be accompanied by service dogs pretty much anywhere they go. (Some people think that the service dogs have legal rights but the right really belongs to the person with the disability.) Up until the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act in 2008 any animal could be a service animal but the ADAAA amended the language so now only dogs (and in some cases miniature horses) have public access.

I was invited to speak at the main event celebrating the Texas Trailblazers who contributed to the passage of the ADA. Lex Frieden, a man who helped draft part of the ADA, spoke and showed video from the 1970s and 80s before the ADA highlighting the struggles and protests that people with disabilities had to go through to fight and advocate for accessibility. A woman spoke who had been told she didn't need to go to school after she acquired a disability as a child and could no longer go up the steps of her school. Hearing these stories made me realize how thankful I am for the access and rights I now have as a result of their struggles.

I was part of a panel talking about the future of disability rights. I spoke about the struggle people with disabilities have to be recognized as competent and capable instead of just being seen for what we lack or can't do. I also talked about the lack of knowledge many people have about the rights of people with disabilities. Access is a right, it's not something provided out of pity or a sense of being nice. While there is still a lot of progress to be made before people with disabilities truly have equal rights and treatment there has been a lot of progress made in the last 25 years!

 Morey and I are grateful for all the people who fought and worked for the rights and access we now enjoy together. I am thankful to work in a role where I get to continue to the work these Texas Trailblazers and others began many years ago!