What the ADA Means to me 31st Anniversary of the ADA

Today is the 31st Anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is nowhere near the 31st anniversary of fully realizing its promises. Nevertheless we mark it celebrating what people have.

#ADA31

RantWoman, you have 1 minute. 1 minute at normal people speeds, not 1 minute at blind people screen reader speeds. Nothing controversial. No foul language or objectionable backgrounds.

 The edited, bare bones description:

My name is (RantWoman).

 

I am a resident, a customer, a voter, a transit rider, an employee, an employer, a participant in a faith community, (tricky point) an optimist about room for everyone in our communities.

 

The ADA enshrines in law civil rights of people with many different disabilities to full inclusion and participation in all facets of life: for example design laundry space in multifamily housing so that wheelchair users can do their own laundry. It means lifts and ramps on public transit. It means Point of sale devices with tactile input so that I can spend my money without having to share sensitive credit card information. The ADA is important steps on the road to complete inclusion and accessibility.

More or less the first draft.

My name is (RantWoman).

 

I am a middle aged white woman with grey hair mostly in a French braid. I am legally blind though my thick glasses help.

 

I am the co-chair of the WA council of the blind Advocacy committee but the opinions here  are my own.

 

I am a resident, a customer, a voter, a transit rider, an employee, an employer, a participant in a faith community (tricky point), an optimist about room for everyone in our communities.

 

The ADA represents a key step in a long history of advocacy for disability rights, disability justice. The ADA builds on work by everyone from the Black panthers to the american Foundation for the Blind, Easter Seals, and a host of other organizations. The ADA enshrines into law access as a civil right. Also, Seattle had lifts on buses long before the ADA. The ADA means the rest of the country gets to catch up about transit accessibility.

 

The ADA is a part of the legal framework that encourages people, planners, business operators to recognize the civil rights of people with many different disabilities to full inclusion and participation in all these facets of life. This means design of laundry space in multifamily housing so that wheelchair users can do their own laundry. It means lifts and ramps on public transit. It means Point of sale devices with tactile input so that i can spend my money without having to share sensitive credit card information just to complete  a transaction.

 

It means if I cannot work at all without a screen reader for my computer I can ask an employer for reasonable accommodation so that I can bring my talents to what an organization needs. It means that if someone who is going to work or collaborate with me needs an accommodation, it is reasonable to make sure they have what they need.

 

we absolutely still need plenty of steps forward for complete inclusion and accessibility? Absolutely, but the ADA is a critical support helping shape these steps!