Celebrate the 27th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

July 26, 2017

July 26, 2017 marks the 27th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) signed by President George H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990.

The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. The purpose of the law is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. The ADA gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications. The ADA is divided into five titles (or sections) that relate to different areas of public life.

What's Happening Around the Country to Celebrate Today

• ADA Anniversary National Network
  https://adata.org/ada-anniversary
  The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law on July 26, 1990. Throughout the year and on the ADA Anniversary, the ADA National Network participates in celebrating this landmark event as a way of bringing attention to the important work that has been done to promote equal opportunity for people with disabilities and to highlight the work that is yet to be done.
• ADA Anniversary Tool Kit: Celebrate the ADA
  https://www.adaanniversary.org/
  Throughout the year, celebrate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the ADA Anniversary (July 26) in your workplaces, schools and communities. While much progress has been made, much remains to be done. This Tool Kit is a project of the ADA National Network and its ten regional ADA Centers across the United States that provide information, guidance and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

• President Donald J. Trump Proclaims July 26, 2017, as a Day in Celebration of the 27th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act
  http://bit.ly/2uBiVq1
  On the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), we celebrate the landmark legislation that marks our Nation's commitment to ending discrimination against people with disabilities. The ADA's recognition of the inherent dignity of disabled persons solidified America's status as the world leader in protecting fundamental rights.  Today, we pay special respect to the contributions of the more than 56 million Americans living with disabilities, and we look forward to further advancing accessibility for all those who need it.

• Word on the Hill: ADA Anniversary
  http://www.rollcall.com/news/hoh/word-hill-ada-anniversary
  Today marks the 27th anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Office of Compliance is commemorating the occasion with online training for Capitol Hill staffers. Training videos entitled "Preventing Disability Discrimination in the Congressional Workplace" are available on the agency's website, featuring introductions from Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., for Senate staffers, and from Rep. Jim Langevin, D-R.I., for House staffers.