What great words of what had been happening prior to The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) law in 1990. So many individuals before us spent much of their time, their vision, and their courage to see this act become a reality.

At the July 26, 1990 signing of the ADA, President George Bush stated in an emphatic directive "Let the shameful walls of exclusion finally come tumbling down!" With the signing of this civil rights law Americans with Disabilities Act, protects every man, woman, and child with a disability to pass through once-closed doors into a bright new era of equality, independence, and freedom."

Twenty-five years ago, our nation committed itself to the elimination of discrimination against people with disabilities through the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  The U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division played a critical role in enforcing the ADA, in which all the doors are open to equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, integration and economic self-sufficiency for persons with disabilities. 

The ADA grew out of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's. Federal legislation to protect civil rights focused on the prevention of racial discrimination. Having seen the federal government involve itself in protecting racial minorities, advocates for individuals with disabilities began to advocate for protection for their constituency as well.

Smart move of the people, back then, who were paying attention to racial discrimination and identify the same problem against individuals with disabilities.

Some of the important sections of the law are the following:

Title I (Employment) This title is designed to remove barriers that would deny qualified individuals with disabilities access to the same employment opportunities and benefits available to others without disabilities. Employers must reasonably accommodate the disabilities of qualified applicants or employees, unless an undue hardship would result.

Title II (State and Local Government) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by public entities. This law protects qualified individuals with disabilities from discrimination on the basis of disability in services, programs, and  activities provided by State and local government entities.

Title III (Public Accommodations)This title prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by private entities in places of public accommodation. Examples include hotels, restaurants, golf courses, private schools, day care centers, health clubs, etc.

Title IV (Telecommunications) The services for hearing-impaired and speech-impaired individuals.

Title V (Miscellaneous Provisions) The final title contains a variety of provisions relating to the ADA as a whole, including its relationship to other laws and its impact on insurance providers and  benefits.

In celebrating this great momentum we need to reflect on what took place and what others did for us. Here is a prime example of what happens when people get together and have a belief and put it into action.  Please take the time and read up on what these laws cover.  While researching ADA I found a website that provides so much reading materials and videos. This is also great information for transition age students to read up on. Go to www.ada.gov. For our Spanish speaking audience the website is:   http://www.ada.gov/publicat_spanish.htm.

This article is also in Spanish below.