ADA: 30 Years
July 26th will mark 30 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law by President George H. W. Bush. One of our most comprehensive civil rights laws, the ADA prohibits discrimination people with disabilities. It also guarantees people with disabilities access to the same opportunities available to nondisabled people.
Though much has improved since the passage of the ADA, people with disabilities continue to experience discrimination and lack of access. People with disabilities face disparities in employment, income, education and access to health care. A part of the challenge is that many people in our society continue to view providing access to people with disabilities as a charitable act. This mindset results in people being reactive rather than proactive and believing it is okay to pick and choose when and how to provide access. The ADA stands to remind us that access is instead a civil right — a matter of social justice. As organizations make this shift in perception, we will come closer to achieving the vision of the ADA.
On the historic day that President George H.W. Bush signed the ADA into law, he said, “Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down.” We still have a lot of work to do to tear down that wall of exclusion. And the truth is that it takes all of us doing our part to bring it down and to replace it with a culture of access and inclusion.
The events listed below give you opportunities to learn and celebrate. For more events, keep a watch on this ADA Anniversary Calendar.
Resource Highlight
When we learned that everyone would be moving to online instruction in early March, we created a tool to assist instructors in creating accessible online courses. Please check it out and share it with those you know who are teaching online.
Designing an Accessible Online Course Toolkit
Upcoming Events
Free Webinar
Presented by UA Partners
Microsoft PowerPoint Accessibility
Wednesday, July 1, 2020
1:00 PM Central Time
Register for MS PowerPoint Accessibility >>
Free Webinar
Presented by the ADA National Network
ADA Anniversary Update: 30 Years, Where do We go Now?
Tuesday, July 14, 2020
1:00 PM Central Time
Register for ADA Anniversary Update >>
Free Webinar
Presented by the ADA National Network
The 30th Anniversary of the ADA: A Review of the Most Important ADA Cases
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
1:00 PM Central Time
Register for The 30th Anniversary of the ADA >>
Free Webinar
Presented by the ADA National Network
Accessible Virtual Meeting Platforms
Tuesday, July 21, 2020
12:00 PM Central Time
Register for Accessibility 102 >>
Free Webinar
Presented by the ADA National Network
Digital Accessibility: What have we learned and what does the future hold?
Thursday, July 23, 2020
1:00 PM Central Time
Register for Digital Accessbility >>
Free Webinar
Presented by UA Partners/Southwest ADA Center Regional Affiliate
The Americans with Disaiblities Act: The Basics
Friday, July 24, 2020
10:00 AM Central Time
Register for ADA: The Basics >>
Free Webinar
Presented by UA Partners/Southwest ADA Center Regional Affiliate
MS Word Accessibility
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
1:00 PM Central Time
Register for MS Word Accessibility >>
Free Webinar
Presented by the ADA National Network
Using the ADA and ABA Standards Series: Chapter 7: Communication Elements and Features
Thursday, August 6, 2020
1:30 PM Central Time
Register for Communication Elements and Features >>
Free Webinar
Presented by the ADA National Network
Criminal Justice and the ADA
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
1:30 PM Central Time
Register for Criminal Justice and the ADA >>
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About Explore Access
exploreaccess.org is a web resource developed through a project of the Southwest ADA Center Regional Affiliate – Arkansas, a program of UA Partners for Inclusive Communities through funding from the Southwest ADA Center (90DP0092).