Advocates Prepare to Celebrate ADA’s 25th Anniversary

• By Laurie Watanabe
• Jun 16, 2015

The landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) turns 25 years old on July 26, and advocates for accessibility and inclusion are preparing to celebrate.

Signed into law in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush, the ADA was hailed as civil rights legislation and in fact was modeled after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender or national origin, says the United States Department of Justice Web site.

“The ADA is one of America's most comprehensive pieces of civil rights legislation that prohibits discrimination and guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to participate in the mainstream of American life -- to enjoy employment opportunities, to purchase goods and services, and to participate in state and local government programs and services,” the Web site says.

At ADAAnniversary.org, a Web site of the ADA National Network and funded through the U.S. Department of Education, National Institute on Disability & Rehabilitation Research, healthcare professionals can access ADA information and resources to help them celebrate the upcoming anniversary.

For instance, the site provides sample social media posts for Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, as well as graphics that can be added to e-newsletters and Web sites.

The site also includes templates for postcards and stickers that clinicians, providers and dealers can print in the office and hand out to clients and customers. General educational resources include promotional videos about the ADA, as well as public service announcements.

For professionals and business owners, the site has educational tools such as videos that explain accessibility issues, including requirements for accessible parking spaces (at least 96 inches wide, plus an access lane of 5 feet for a car and 8 feet for an accessible van, the video says).

ADA anniversary-related events are listed on the site, and organizations can add theirs to the calendar.

Visitors to the site can also add their names and organization names to an ADA pledge for the future.