17th Anniversary of ADA Today, Road to Freedom Bus in St. Louis on Saturday
Today is the 17th anniversary of the signing of the Americans With Disabilities Act. Â Earlier this week the White House issued a proclamation marking the anniversary which read, in part:
On the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), we celebrate our progress towards an America where individuals with disabilities are recognized for their talents and contributions to our society. We also underscore our commitment to extend the full liberties and freedoms of our great country to all Americans.
Seventeen years ago, President George H. W. Bush signed the ADA into law. This legislation became one of the most successful and compassionate reforms in our Nation’s history, helping to ensure that individuals with disabilities are better able to develop meaningful skills, engage in productive work, and participate fully in the life of our Nation.
But as regular readers know, the ADA is largely ignored in many circles. The promises have not been kept.
To this end activists across the country have organized the ‘Road to Freedom’ tour which will stop here in St. Louis this Saturday. From the tour website:
The Road to Freedom is a yearlong, 50-State bus tour and photographic exhibit chronicling the history of the grassroots “people’s movement” leading to passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
We are touring the United States to tell the story of the struggle for disability rights, past and present, and to promote educational and economic opportunity for children and adults with physical, mental, cognitive, sensory and developmental disabilities.
The Road To Freedom is a project of ADA Watch and the National Coalition for Disability Rights (NCDR).
The St. Louis event will take place Saturday July 28th at the Missouri History Museum, Grand Hall, 2:00pm-4:00pm.
The ADA is important legislation. The odds are high that we will all, at some point in our lives, be limited in one way or another, so, in the long run, we all benefit from its requirements. Unfortunately, for a law to be “successful” and to create positive change, requires both consistent enforcement and being embraced by a majority of the citizenry. Prohibition is a classic example of enforcement without widespread support. So until both the private sector embraces the concept and city officials make enforcement a priority, it will retain one of those half-hearted attempts to create positive change, and the many examples, previously posted, will continue to challenge all of us in our daily lives . . .