ADA Anniversary Solidarity Statement

Upcoming Events By State:
Anniversary ADA Events by State

This July 26th marks the 15th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Fifteen years ago, with bipartisan support in Congress and broad endorsements from the civil rights coalition, President George H. W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), calling for the "shameful wall of exclusion" to come tumbling down. As we mark this significant anniversary, we celebrate improvements in access to polling places and the secret ballot, government services and programs, transportation, public places, communication and information technology. Parents pushing strollers, workers delivering packages, and travelers pulling roller bags have grown accustomed to curb cuts, ramps, and other accessibility features less common in 1990. Our country is more accessible today thanks to the ADA, and all Americans are better off.

Following is a link to the final version of an ADA Anniversary Statement of Solidarity that was developed with the National Council on Independent Living's Civil Rights Committee and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) Board of Directors. The goals of the statement are to help frame media coverage of the anniversary this July 26, and to demonstrate the unity and common vision of many organizations across the disability, aging, and civil rights communities. Link to ADA Anniversary Statement. For further information next week, visit www.ada.gov on Monday or Tuesday for some special announcements.

The ABC's of ADA: How Savvy is Your Staff?

With fifteen years passing since the signing of the ADA, organizations serving people with disabilities have evolved into key resources for their local communities regarding accessibility information.

How savvy is your staff in understanding the many layers of provisions of the ADA and rights of the people they are serving? Do they have current and correct information to share with businesses, government funders, and consumers?

Consider attending or sending a staff person or two to "The ABC's of the ADA" which will be held in Wausau, Wisconsin on August 10, 2005 and in Madison on August 11. The morning portion will offer key information on facility accessibility (Title III) and overview employment provisions (Title I) of the ADA. The afternoon will focus on government agencies and cover equal access to programs and services (Title II).

We are pleased to present Sally Conway of Washington, DC as the featured speaker. A lively presenter who knows her stuff, Sally is the Director of ADA Technical Assistance and Mediation in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

"This will be a great opportunity for attendees to refresh what they've learned in the past, find out what's changed and learn about the excellent resources that have been developed," says Robin Jones of the Great Lakes Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center, who works extensively with business and government agencies on ADA technical assistance matters.

Attendees will have the option to register for the full day, morning or afternoon only. Call Tammy Liddicoat at 608-334-8105 or email tliddicoat@charter.net for more information or go to the conference webpage at ADA Conference.

Free and Helpful ADA Publications

The Americans with Disabilities Act can be a complicated law, but here are many concise and easy to understand booklets to keep in your lobby, share with local employers or government staff, or have available for your own staff. Just of few of the free and handy booklets include:

• The ADA: Your Employment Rights as an Individual With a Disability (published by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)
• The ADA: Your Responsibilities as an Employer (published by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)
• The Americans With Disabilities Act: Questions and Answers (published by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and U.S. Department of Justice)
• Department of Justice: ADA Guide for Small Businesses (published by the U.S. Department of Justice)
• Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal for Existing Facilities (published by NIDRR)
• Planning Guide for Accessible Events (published by the Center for Universal Design)

If you would like to receive some of these publications to have available in your organization, contact RFW at rfw@rfw.org or 608-244-5310 with the title and quantity and we will have them shipped to your location. Or download the following order form: ADA Publications Order Form (pdf).

Census Statistics: Americans with Disabilities

WASHINGTON, July 19 /U.S. Newswire/ - On this day in 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act, guaranteeing equal opportunity for people with disabilities in public accommodations, commercial facilities, employment, transportation, state and local government services and telecommunications.

Population Distribution

37.5 million - Number of people age 5 and over in the civilian non-institutionalized population with at least one disability, representing 14 percent. These individuals fit at least one of the following descriptions: they are 5 years old or older and have a sensory, physical, mental or self-care disability; they are 16 years old or older and have difficulty going outside the home; or they are 16 to 64 years old and have an employment disability.

By age and sex

• 8 percent of boys and 4 percent of girls ages 5 to 15 have disabilities.
• 12 percent of men and 11 percent of women ages 16 to 64 have disabilities. This apparent difference is not statistically significant.
• 42 percent of women and 38 percent of men 65 or older have disabilities.
  • 42 percent - Percentage of working-age men (21 to 64) with disabilities who are employed. For women, the rate is 34 percent. Altogether, 4.0 million men and 3.5 million women with disabilities are employed.
  • 847,000 - Number of people ages 18 to 34 who have disabilities and are enrolled in school. They comprise 5 percent of all students in this age group. The majority of this group (567,000) attend college or graduate school.

For further information on the data appearing in the "Population Distribution" section, see Census Website

Specific Disabilities

• 10.8 million - The number of people age 5 or older with a sensory disability involving sight or hearing. This group accounts for 4.1 percent of the civilian non-institutionalized population age 5 or older.
• 23.6 million - The number of people age 5 or older with a condition limiting basic physical activities, such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting or carrying. This group accounts for 9.0 percent of the civilian non-institutionalized population age 5 or older.
• 13.5 million - The number of people age 5 or older with a physical, mental or emotional condition causing difficulty in learning, remembering or concentrating. This group accounts for 5.1 percent of the civilian non-institutionalized population age 5 or older.
• 7 million - Number of people age 5 or older who have a physical, mental or emotional condition causing difficulty in dressing, bathing or moving around inside the home. This group accounts for 2.7 percent of the civilian non-institutionalized population age 5 or older.
• 10.7 million - Number of people age 16 or older who have a condition that makes it difficult to go outside the home to shop or visit a doctor. This group accounts for 4.9 percent of civilian non-institutionalized people who are of this age.
• 11.8 million - Number of people ages 16 to 64 who have a condition that affects their ability to work at a job or business. They account for 6.4 percent of civilian non- institutionalized people in this age group.

For further information on the data appearing in the "Specific Disabilities" section, see Census Website

Serving Our Nation

2.5 million -- Number of veterans who received compensation for service-related disabilities as of 2003. Of these vets, 414,000 served in World War II; 164,000 in Korea; 848,000 in Vietnam; and 476,000 in the Persian Gulf (the data cover service from Aug. 2, 1990 to Sept. 30, 2003).

See Table 515 at http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract-04.html.

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