A Seat at The Table: Happy ADAnniversary!
Today, July 26th, 2017, marks the 27th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). See the ADA Timeline here. In 1990, this law went into effect, supporting the civil rights of people with disabilities and prohibiting discrimination in myriad facets of public life. The ADA was created to grant protections to people with disabilities, regardless of their belonging to other protected classes, and to provide the same access to people with disabilities as everyone else. The law is divided into five sections, and it underwent significant change after the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 altered the definition of the word "disability," applying to the entire ADA.
I was two years old when the ADA went into affect, so that makes me part of the ADA generation. We are described as those who have been able to benefit (almost) their entire lives from the protections guaranteed by the ADA. Today's youth, for the large majority, do not know a life without public transportation accommodations, automatic door openers, interpretation services, or the allowance of service dogs in a public restaurant. I do not propose to state that the ADA generation is privileged to a point of naivete, as there remains a need for disability advocacy and increased protections. However, today's struggles do not mimic those of thirty years prior.
Let us begin with a few modern-day snapshots related to the ADA. The United States Census Bureau compiled a fact sheet addressing data on the disabled community, along with services and accommodations in place for them.
Next, you might be asking yourself, "What exactly is the ADA?" Don't be ashamed if you can't or don't understand this law. It's quite broad in its coverage, and the ADA's five sections aren't for beginners. Here's a helpful breakdown:
Suffice to say, that's one powerful law. But what about the continued struggle for disability rights and protections? What is going on now? Enter healthcare reform. Understand that this is not the only issue threatening the rights, access, and protections of people with disabilities. I could turn this post into a book, addressing prisons as the new psych wards of today, higher ed discrimination against disabled students, continued stigmas facing the disabled community, and the fractured intersectionality hindering identity formation and validation. For now, though, let's focus on healthcare.
This week also includes the 2017 annual National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) Conference. Many of the participants work directly with programs that are funded by Medicaid, so the passage of a healthcare bill with an almost 30% cut to those funds would put at risk the lives of millions - many of whom belong to the disability community. The right to live and work with pride and support as part of the general community should not continue to be a topic for debate. Disability rights are civil rights, so stop treating the disabled community and its rights as a option.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Dom Leon-Davis
dom79districtbx@gmail.com
Statement from New York Assembly Member Michael Blake in Celebration of the 27th Anniversary of the ADA
July 26th, 2017
The Bronx, NY - Wednesday, in celebration of the 27th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, New York State Assembly Member Michael Blake released the following statement:
“Today, as we celebrate the 27th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we celebrate not only the history of activism and advocacy lead by people with disabilities, but also the ongoing fight to preserve and protect the goals of the ADA: independent living, economic self-sufficiency, full participation in society, and equality of opportunity.
We have seen tremendous progress with the ban on discrimination in healthcare on the basis of pre-existing conditions, requirements in education designed to track the disproportionate identification, placement, and discipline of students of color, and growing awareness around the civil rights of parents with disabilities. But there is still much work to do. 50% of individuals killed by law enforcement are people with disabilities. Thirty nine years after its founding focusing on transportation access, ADAPT is still fighting, but now to save Medicaid, which is critical to disabled people living in their communities among friends and families, and not in institutions or nursing homes. Key provisions of the BRCA could roll back progress made that has allowed people with disabilities to have the healthcare they need in the community.
In both Washington DC and at the state level, attacks on the rights of people with disabilities are rampant. While we are celebrating the 27th Anniversary of the ADA, states are pushing for disabled Americans to wait even longer to access public spaces, pushing for ADA Notification Act legislation. 27 years is too long already. To continue building on the progress of the ADA, we need greater access to community based mental health services, we need a move from paying people with disabilities subminimum wage to supported employment programs that pay living wages, and we need policing reform that focuses on de-escalation and community engagement that includes disabled people.
Disability has always existed in our communities. From Harriet Tubman and Fannie Lou Hamer to modern activists like Anita Cameron and the Bronx’s own, Claudia Gordon. The disability experience is not one that is separate. We all have a family member or a close friend who is a person with a disability. It may even be us, and whomever it is, it’s not something to be ashamed of. Whether physical, mental health, sensory, intellectual or developmental--it’s critical we work daily to destigmatize disability within our community and work to create spaces and opportunities accessible and inclusive of all. In recommitting today and everyday to the goals of the ADA, let’s commit to ensuring the American Dream is accessible and inclusive to all of our citizens.”
Copyright © 2016 Assemblymember Michael Blake, All rights reserved.
I was two years old when the ADA went into affect, so that makes me part of the ADA generation. We are described as those who have been able to benefit (almost) their entire lives from the protections guaranteed by the ADA. Today's youth, for the large majority, do not know a life without public transportation accommodations, automatic door openers, interpretation services, or the allowance of service dogs in a public restaurant. I do not propose to state that the ADA generation is privileged to a point of naivete, as there remains a need for disability advocacy and increased protections. However, today's struggles do not mimic those of thirty years prior.
Let us begin with a few modern-day snapshots related to the ADA. The United States Census Bureau compiled a fact sheet addressing data on the disabled community, along with services and accommodations in place for them.
Next, you might be asking yourself, "What exactly is the ADA?" Don't be ashamed if you can't or don't understand this law. It's quite broad in its coverage, and the ADA's five sections aren't for beginners. Here's a helpful breakdown:
Suffice to say, that's one powerful law. But what about the continued struggle for disability rights and protections? What is going on now? Enter healthcare reform. Understand that this is not the only issue threatening the rights, access, and protections of people with disabilities. I could turn this post into a book, addressing prisons as the new psych wards of today, higher ed discrimination against disabled students, continued stigmas facing the disabled community, and the fractured intersectionality hindering identity formation and validation. For now, though, let's focus on healthcare.
This week also includes the 2017 annual National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) Conference. Many of the participants work directly with programs that are funded by Medicaid, so the passage of a healthcare bill with an almost 30% cut to those funds would put at risk the lives of millions - many of whom belong to the disability community. The right to live and work with pride and support as part of the general community should not continue to be a topic for debate. Disability rights are civil rights, so stop treating the disabled community and its rights as a option.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Dom Leon-Davis
dom79districtbx@gmail.com
Statement from New York Assembly Member Michael Blake in Celebration of the 27th Anniversary of the ADA
July 26th, 2017
The Bronx, NY - Wednesday, in celebration of the 27th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, New York State Assembly Member Michael Blake released the following statement:
“Today, as we celebrate the 27th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we celebrate not only the history of activism and advocacy lead by people with disabilities, but also the ongoing fight to preserve and protect the goals of the ADA: independent living, economic self-sufficiency, full participation in society, and equality of opportunity.
We have seen tremendous progress with the ban on discrimination in healthcare on the basis of pre-existing conditions, requirements in education designed to track the disproportionate identification, placement, and discipline of students of color, and growing awareness around the civil rights of parents with disabilities. But there is still much work to do. 50% of individuals killed by law enforcement are people with disabilities. Thirty nine years after its founding focusing on transportation access, ADAPT is still fighting, but now to save Medicaid, which is critical to disabled people living in their communities among friends and families, and not in institutions or nursing homes. Key provisions of the BRCA could roll back progress made that has allowed people with disabilities to have the healthcare they need in the community.
In both Washington DC and at the state level, attacks on the rights of people with disabilities are rampant. While we are celebrating the 27th Anniversary of the ADA, states are pushing for disabled Americans to wait even longer to access public spaces, pushing for ADA Notification Act legislation. 27 years is too long already. To continue building on the progress of the ADA, we need greater access to community based mental health services, we need a move from paying people with disabilities subminimum wage to supported employment programs that pay living wages, and we need policing reform that focuses on de-escalation and community engagement that includes disabled people.
Disability has always existed in our communities. From Harriet Tubman and Fannie Lou Hamer to modern activists like Anita Cameron and the Bronx’s own, Claudia Gordon. The disability experience is not one that is separate. We all have a family member or a close friend who is a person with a disability. It may even be us, and whomever it is, it’s not something to be ashamed of. Whether physical, mental health, sensory, intellectual or developmental--it’s critical we work daily to destigmatize disability within our community and work to create spaces and opportunities accessible and inclusive of all. In recommitting today and everyday to the goals of the ADA, let’s commit to ensuring the American Dream is accessible and inclusive to all of our citizens.”
Copyright © 2016 Assemblymember Michael Blake, All rights reserved.
Comments
Post a Comment