Celebrating 31 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Image attribution: Disabled and Here photo collection

On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law, which prohibits discrimination based on individuals with disabilities. This includes employment, transportation, accommodations, and communications across state and local governments. The purpose of the ADA is to ensure that individuals with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as those who don’t. 

Today, over 61 million adults have some type of disability, with the majority having a disability that affects mobility or cognition. The Americans with Disabilities Act not only ensures that disabled individuals are given the same opportunities as others, but that they have the accommodations that are necessary to work and live safely in our communities and provides them with access to quality care.

Below are some resources to learn more about the Americans with Disabilities Act: 

• We Can Do This Toolkit for People with Disabilities

• Getting the Care You Need: A Guide for People with Disabilities 

• How the ADA Changed the Built World

• The ADA: Looking Back and Ahead 

• What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?

• 30 Years after the ADA’s Passage, What it Means to these Americans with Disabilities