"This act is powerful in its simplicity. It will ensure that people with disabilities are given the basic guarantees for which they have worked so long and so hard: independence, freedom of choice, control of their lives, the opportunity to blend fully and equally into the rich mosaic of the American mainstream." President George H.W. Bush
On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act. On that sunny July day, I was in attendance as then-Governor Evan Bayh's representative to the White House and witnessed the signing of this landmark piece of civil rights legislation.
The ADA has had a tremendous impact on millions of Americans with disabilities, their friends and loved ones. I am one of those Americans. Born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, or "brittle bone disease," I have utilized a wheelchair since childhood. I graduated from college, earned masters and legal degrees - all before the ADA became law. For a young lawyer, the ADA meant that I could finally enter nearly any business and meet clients and colleagues without concerns about accessible accommodations. Up until the ADA, the logistics of a simple client meeting presented a daunting challenge.
The ADA is continually evolving. It's been a privilege to see this process firsthand, working with businesses and organizations in the public and private sectors to create accessible and inclusive spaces. The physical access the ADA has encouraged - ramps, curb cuts, audio tools, for example - is tangible evidence of the progress we have made. Businesses and organizations across the country have applied a comprehensive approach to integrate structures and programming, thus increasing opportunities for people with disabilities to participate. Not only can we now access the park, we also can enjoy a picnic in the pavilion with our family and friends because of the accessible features.
As I look back to where people with disabilities have been - and where we're going - there is much to celebrate. By law, we are afforded the same rights as other Americans and diverse groups. But, we have much to do if we are to fully blend into the fabric of our nation.
People with disabilities have the ability and the desire to participate in our economy. Yet, the unemployment rate for people with disabilities is disproportionately higher than for the general population. With technology revolutionizing how we connect to each other and our jobs, people with disabilities have an opportunity before them to apply their skills in ways never thought possible. After all, if a person can navigate the complexities of living with a disability, they can certainly navigate the challenges of full-time employment. Indianapolis has long been a national model for encouraging all levels of access and inclusion. Ball State University's Bowen Center for Public Affairs is identifying and addressing employment barriers for people with disabilities. I'm proud to be a part of that effort.
Next week, I'll return to the White House to witness President Barack Obama commemorate the 20th anniversary of the ADA. That a man with a disability will come to the nation's capitol to celebrate a landmark civil rights legislation with our country's first African-American president speaks to the power of America. Even more, we will celebrate this milestone publicly, in the same house where an American president 70 years ago hid his disability from the world.
How far we have come. How far we have to go. Yet, we can - and will - travel the journey together.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
The Americans with Disabilities Act: An evolutionary process
Juli Paini, the director for the City of Indianapolis Office of Disability Affairs, shares her thoughts on the Americans with Disabilities Act.
I was a student at Indiana University when Congress passed the ADA. The ADA received a lot of attention when President Bush signed it into law and I began to notice that people were more aware of people with disabilities.
The ADA helped raise my comfort level talking about my disability, as well as the comfort level of the people around me. While I had always adapted to the situations that faced me as a person with rheumatoid arthritis, the law established a civil rights framework of legal protections that had not previously been available to me and others with disabilities.
After I graduated from IU, I entered law school at IU-Bloomington. My motivation to pursue a legal career was definitely influenced by my disability. I knew there were people - with and without disabilities - who needed access to quality legal services and someone to advocate on their behalf. After passing the bar, I practiced law for several years. When the opportunity arose ten years ago to direct the City of Indianapolis' ADA Program, I took it immediately.
Indianapolis already had an effort in place relative to access and inclusion before the ADA was signed into law. Mayor Hudnut established the Mayor's Advisory Council on Disability, which is still in effect today. Peter Bisbecos, a talented lawyer, served as Mayor Goldsmith's ADA coordinator during a construction boom in our city. The City put a priority to make access and inclusion a part of what we do. It's a bipartisan approach that has carried through several administrations and continues to this day. In fact, the National Organization on Disability recognized Indianapolis with its 2009 "Accessible America" award, a tribute to this collective work.
In all of our projects, we look at access and inclusion in a holistic way. Whether it's employing audible signals for the visually impaired, or creating mentorship opportunities, or including people with disabilities when we define diversity, the perception of people with disabilities and how we integrate the ADA is evolving.
Initially, everyone thought of the ADA in terms of physical access. As the years have gone by, we're now looking at the ADA in terms of its significance to the issue of employment, and how that affects any other independence that the act brings. Economic independence helps people enjoy the physical independence.
People with disabilities - and the ADA - have come a long way since this landmark legislation became a part of our lives. As we look to the future, we still have much more to do. I hope the Indianapolis model will help other communities realize that they can be at the forefront of accessibility and inclusion, and do it in a creative and bipartisan way.
I was a student at Indiana University when Congress passed the ADA. The ADA received a lot of attention when President Bush signed it into law and I began to notice that people were more aware of people with disabilities.
The ADA helped raise my comfort level talking about my disability, as well as the comfort level of the people around me. While I had always adapted to the situations that faced me as a person with rheumatoid arthritis, the law established a civil rights framework of legal protections that had not previously been available to me and others with disabilities.
After I graduated from IU, I entered law school at IU-Bloomington. My motivation to pursue a legal career was definitely influenced by my disability. I knew there were people - with and without disabilities - who needed access to quality legal services and someone to advocate on their behalf. After passing the bar, I practiced law for several years. When the opportunity arose ten years ago to direct the City of Indianapolis' ADA Program, I took it immediately.
Indianapolis already had an effort in place relative to access and inclusion before the ADA was signed into law. Mayor Hudnut established the Mayor's Advisory Council on Disability, which is still in effect today. Peter Bisbecos, a talented lawyer, served as Mayor Goldsmith's ADA coordinator during a construction boom in our city. The City put a priority to make access and inclusion a part of what we do. It's a bipartisan approach that has carried through several administrations and continues to this day. In fact, the National Organization on Disability recognized Indianapolis with its 2009 "Accessible America" award, a tribute to this collective work.
In all of our projects, we look at access and inclusion in a holistic way. Whether it's employing audible signals for the visually impaired, or creating mentorship opportunities, or including people with disabilities when we define diversity, the perception of people with disabilities and how we integrate the ADA is evolving.
Initially, everyone thought of the ADA in terms of physical access. As the years have gone by, we're now looking at the ADA in terms of its significance to the issue of employment, and how that affects any other independence that the act brings. Economic independence helps people enjoy the physical independence.
People with disabilities - and the ADA - have come a long way since this landmark legislation became a part of our lives. As we look to the future, we still have much more to do. I hope the Indianapolis model will help other communities realize that they can be at the forefront of accessibility and inclusion, and do it in a creative and bipartisan way.
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An attorney with a disability who uses an electric wheelchair as a mobility aid device, Gregory S. Fehribach is a leading consultant on accessible design. Learn more about The Fehribach Group at