2010 Marks 20-Year Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act
May 3, 2010 - The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law on July 16, 1990 and was enacted to protect the civil rights of individuals with disabilities. The four major goals of the ADA include equality of opportunity, full participation in community life, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency.
The National Council on Disability conducted a retrospective study to provide a snapshot of the impact the ADA has had on the lives of Americans with disabilities. Here a few of the findings from that study:
- Most people with disabilities perceive improvements in their quality of life and many attribute those improvements to the ADA;
- Public transit systems in the United States have made significant progress in becoming more accessible, especially to wheelchair users. Private transportation companies lag behind. People in rural areas continue to be underserved by public transportation, and, as a result, participate less in all aspects of community living;
- People with physical disabilities have seen steady, although inconsistent, progress in access to public accommodations, including restaurants, theaters, stores, museums, web sites, and government services;
- Telephone relay services are being used to a greater degree, and changes in technology are making usage easier. However, some businesses are reluctant to use these technologies;
- The percentage of Americans with disabilities voting in 2004 increased dramatically from prior years;
- The education gap between people with disabilities and people without disabilities is shrinking, and people with disabilities are attending post-secondary institutions in greater numbers;
- Many employees with disabilities are experiencing less discrimination on the job. However, people with visible and severe disabilities continue to experience discrimination in hiring;
- There is a surprising absence of ongoing, systematic data collection about the ADA, and the result is significant knowledge gaps about the impact of the ADA.
Visit www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications to read the full findings from the National Council on Disability’s study entitled “The Impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act: Assessing the Progress Toward Achieving the Goals of the ADA.”
