This year the ADA, which was designed to give equal access to the disabled, turns 30. Yet still, we live in a segregated society. As a person with a disability, where I live is not decided by my choice as an American but instead by the state and federal government when they decide which communities […]
ADA
The ADA, Parenthood, and Empowerment
When I wrote about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) a few years ago in a piece titled, Reflections on #ADA27, here for Disabled Parenting Project (DPP), I largely focused on my daughter and inclusion. As I reflect on it today for #ADA30, not much has changed, and yet so much has changed all at […]
Growing up with the ADA
The Americans with Disabilities Act was- and is- a revolutionary piece of legislation. It has impacted my life and the lives of others since its inception. I barely remember what life was like before the ADA, which was signed the year I turned eight. I recently had the opportunity to watch Crip Camp, and it […]
School’s Touching Accommodations
If you are a parent, you know the feeling of pride that comes from watching your child(ren) perform in a school play or sing at an event; you’ve experienced the joy that occurs when you visit the classroom or engage in school activities with your child(ren). But, imagine if you had to stay outside the […]
The ADA: How Far We Have Come, Yet How Far We Still Have to Go
The ADA. Here is another view. A view you rarely hear. A view from the other side of disabled parenting. For you see those children with disabilities, they grow up and you are faced with their disability and yours in a different light. Only these days I feel do you truly see the effect of the […]
Reflections on #ADA27
As I sit and reflect on the 27th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), I think about both how far we’ve come and how far we have yet to come. I think about the great people, some of whom I’ve been privileged to meet who have lead and accomplished great things, and I […]
Walking and Rolling with My Daughter Thanks to the ADA
Before I became disabled, I knew what the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was and the reason it was implemented. I understood on a cognitive level why it was important. But when it’s significance became personal to me, the journey from the head to the heart was complete. Now, as a parent with a disability, […]
Happy 27th Birthday to the ADA from a Disabled Mom!
Happy 27th birthday Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)! Because of you, my daughter, who shares my orthopedic disability, is growing up in a world where having a disability is a less isolating experience. Because of the ADA, we both can navigate our local community or a big city in our wheelchairs. Because of the ADA, […]
The ADA’s Influence on Parents with Disabilities
When thinking about what the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) means for parents with disabilities, multiple answers come to mind. While one of the main goals of the ADA is to assist people with disabilities with employment, it has had a farther-reaching impact on daily life, even for a parent with a disability, […]
What the ADA Means to Me
So, the Americans with Disabilities Act turns 27 this year. And that’s something worthy of celebrating. Now, before you point out that this might seem to be an odd thing to celebrate, let me quote a scene from the iconic television show Sports Night, where two characters are debating celebrating Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard Round […]