The ADA Turns 15 Today

Yes, that's right, the American's with Disabilities Act (ADA) turns 15 today. It was signed into law by the first President Bush, on July 26, 1990. Though the ADA has done a lot for disabled people in general, it is still a very young law, and thus, there's still many people that are unaware of it. I will be posting two articles on the ADA and its impact, or lack thereof. I will leave it to you to decide if the ADA has really made any impact at all.

I will say that it has made discrimination and segregation of disabled people illegal. However, discrimination and segregation of the disabled still goes on. I've seen it firsthand. At the time that I used my guide dog several years ago, I was told that I could not enter a restaurant in my small college town. I chose not to pursue a lawsuit, but it did occur to me that I was not able to go where other people could go. I can tell you that I was certainly more familiar with the ADA and what it meant after that incident.

The ADA has also allowed the disabled person to say, "Thanks, but no thanks," which is good. Just because someone offers an accommodation to you, doesn't mean that you have to take it. For instance, I may not want to sit up by the driver on a bus. I may want to sit in the middle or in the back of the bus.

Dont' get me wrong; the ADA has made it necessary for people to consider the disabled. Whether they do or not is another matter. However, if they don't, and if I feel that I was discriminated against in a job interview, I now have legal action I can take against that employer. Before July 26, 1990, I did not. So, for all its qquirks and potential loop holes (such as the broad definition of a "service animal," thereby allowing any animal to be considered a service animal, whether it be a dog, guide horse, or a therapy pig that might fly on a plane), the ADA is still worthwhile.

With all this as background, I submit the following articles, one that recognizes the ADA's impact, and one which illustrates that discrimination still happens today, even though its illegal.