IEL Participates in Celebration of Landmark Disability Rights Legislation - American's With Disabilities Act

July 26, 2010 marks the 20th anniversary of the enactment of federal disability civil rights legislation known as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which bars discrimination based on disability in employment, public and private sector services, transportation, and recreation. The ADA also codified disability public policy to promote inclusion, integration, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for all youth and adults with disabilities. Over the past two decades, federal laws, programs, and services have been updated and aligned with the ADA.

To mark the historic nature of the ADA, organizations and government agencies are hosting a multitude of celebrations in Washington, DC and across the country. The Institute for Educational Leadership’s (IEL) Center for Workforce Development (CWD) is helping mark this anniversary by cosponsoring and participating in a number of these celebrations.

In celebration of the ADA’s 20th Anniversary, George Washington University student Haley Lesavoy created an award-winning public service announcement (PSA) that tells the compelling story of disability in America, reflecting the theme, “Opening Doors & Minds: Celebrating 20 Years of the ADA.” The PSA features IEL’s Youth Development Specialist Andraéa LaVant.

IEL-Related ADA Events and Activities

• July 25-28 – The National Council on Disability (NCD) hosts the National Summit on Disability Policy in Washington, DC. NCD conducted groundbreaking work to help set the stage for the ADA 20 years ago. Co-sponsored by IEL, the summit focused on the theme “Living, Learning & Earning,” covering the future of 21st century disability programs and policies while celebrating the 20th anniversary of the ADA. IEL’s CWD Director Curtis Richards and LaVant play key roles in this summit. Learn more… 
• July 26 – The U.S. Senate, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and President Obama mark the anniversary with their respective celebrations, with Richards and LaVant participating.
• July 30 – The U.S. Department of Labor’s (USDOL) Office of Disability Employment Policy hosts its ADA 20th Anniversary celebration with Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy Kathleen Martinez from 2:00 – 3:00 pm at USDOL’s headquarters in Washington, DC. The keynote speaker is former U.S. Congressman and co-sponsor of the ADA Tony Coehlo. USDOL will induct disability advocates Justin Dart, Jr. and Helen Keller into its Hall of Fame.To learn more, email Rejeanne Nicholson at Nicholson.Rejeanne@dol.gov
• Ongoing –IEL has been helping to support the It’s Our Story Project, chronicling the ADA’s impact on the lives of youth and adults with disabilities. It's Our Story is a national initiative to make disability history public and accessible. The project collected over 1,000 video interviews from disability leaders across the country. Watch the videos and learn more…