Earlier this month, many of us joined in Independence Day celebrations.  We watched parades, grilled hot dogs and burgers and viewed dazzling fireworks.

This week, individuals across the country will gather to participate in many of the same activities. There will be parades and speeches, picnics and fireworks.  Here in Auburn, one agency with a small staff that has boundless energy and enthusiasm (and a lot of heart) will host an annual conference.

Why are we celebrating?  Because July 26 marks the 18th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). For people with disabilities, our families and friends, that is truly an event to commemorate.

When signing the ADA into law, then President George H.W. Bush stated: “Today we're here to rejoice in and celebrate another ‘independence day,' one that is long overdue. With today's signing of the landmark Americans for Disabilities Act, every man, woman, and child with a disability can now pass through once-closed doors into a bright new era of equality, independence, and freedom.”

As with any civil rights movement, we still have a long road ahead of us. But we have made great strides.

Not so long ago, curb cuts were an oddity and accessible parking spaces didn't exist. Polling places didn't have elevators or ramps, students with disabilities were isolated in “special” classrooms, individuals in wheelchairs had to live in institutions because homes weren't accessible and no one dared to talk about the family member who had a mental health or developmental disability.

Those conditions still exist, to some extent, today.  But we are working toward eradicating them.

Here in Cayuga County, the City of Auburn requests advice from our agency (and we, in turn, consult our consumers) every year regarding the placement of new sidewalk curb cuts. Other updates shared at the conference include a local house of worship making its space more accessible and The Cayuga County Board of Elections will hold a hands-on demonstration of the new accessible voting machines.

On a more global scale, programs fund modification projects so individuals can remain at home. Children with disabilities are more frequently taught with their peers in inclusive classrooms. There are fewer large, institutional settings for individuals with developmental disabilities and more opportunities for inclusion. 

The ADA does need to be strengthened, but that topic will require a column of its own. For today, at least, the glass is half full.

More than 52 million individuals with disabilities are grateful that Congress recognized that, “historically, society has tended to isolate and segregate individuals with disabilities. ... the continuing existence of unfair and unnecessary discrimination and prejudice denies people with disabilities the opportunity to compete on an equal basis and to pursue those opportunities for which our free society is justifiably famous.”

As we continue to advocate for the rights of individuals with disabilities, in the words of former President Bush: “Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down.”

 

Tracy L. Murphy is the executive director of Options for Independence.