Ed note: There are many people with disabilities at Skyline: motility, hearing and sight to name a few. We tend to overlook and take for granted our own abilities, but let’s look around. Let’s keep fighting for a skybridge before a terrible accident occurs on 8th Avenue. Let’s get audible traffic signals at 8th and 9th Avenue where they intersect with Madison Avenue (can you imagine getting across Madison blindfolded?). More than celebrate, let’s be advocates!
July 26 was the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, one of America’s most consequential laws.
This month marks the 32nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which President George H.W. Bush signed into law on July 26, 1990. It was a landmark moment and ranks as one of the most consequential pieces of legislation in American history.
The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in all areas of public life, including education, transportation, and employment, among other areas. The law aims to afford people with disabilities the same rights and opportunities as the rest of society, whether it is finding a job or enjoying an evening at a restaurant or theater.
To be sure, people with disabilities still face many challenges; however, each day individuals who are advocating for the rights and opportunities of those who are differently abled continue to press on. That’s because disability touches all of us. The Centers for Disease Control reports that almost 25% of the U.S. population, or just over 60 million people, have at least one disability.