ADA Signing Celebration

On July 26, 1990, President George H. W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) at a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C. The ADA was national legislation, the first of its kind, aimed at ensuring equity and accessibility for all persons with disabilities to public buildings, education, employment, transportation, health care, and communications. In the 33 years since that day, Centers for Independent Living have been established in every state and networks have formed to advocate for enforcement of that important set of laws. Having a disability is one ‘minority group’ that anyone can become part of at any time, without any warning. The ADA formalizes our rights to access and inclusion in our community by: • Making buildings accessible, even privately-owned buildings when providing a public service; • Making buses and public transit accessible; • Making employers provide reasonable accommodations for employees; • Establishing the Telecommunications Relay System for phone service; • Making closed captions available for public service announcements. Accessibility was largely measured by how people can enter, exit, and navigate their community while using a wheelchair or for persons who are blind or deaf. But over the years, it has grown to include other disabilities. Reasonable accommodations opened the doors for so many to find jobs, attend school, worship in church, go grocery shopping, and live independently. Please join DisAbility Partners as we celebrate this important legislation! Enjoy food, friends, and fun with cake, BBQ, and fixings at 525 Mineral Springs Drive in Sylva on July 13th from 1 - 3 p.m. RSVP Requested