NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — If you don’t have a disability, and you aren’t close to someone who does, chances are you don’t give much thought to the Americans with Disabilities Act. That’s perfectly understandable.
Nevertheless, some reflection on the issue is appropriate, especially this week. Monday marked the 20th anniversary of the day that President George H.W. Bush signed the ADA into law.
After all the outrage expressed about healthcare reform and other laws cooked up by Congress recently, it’s refreshing to consider a piece of legislation that, in most people’s views, the federal government got right. The ADA is a prime example.
When we discuss the ADA, what we’re really talking about is civil rights.
The ADA established that a person with a disability is entitled to the same opportunities as anyone else.Discrimination against the disabled is intolerable, a notion that had been lodged deep down in America’s conscience for a long time. The ADA finally put that idea into writing.
The act also required that new buildings be outfitted with ramps and other features to accommodate the disabled. Across the country, you see sidewalk curbs cut to allow wheelchair access.
This is the ADA’s legacy.
Yes, the ADA’s requirements have forced government and businesses to spend more money to accommodate the disabled. It’s the price society must pay, however, if we believe in equal rights for everyone.
Those who are blessed with fully functioning arms, legs, eyes and ears might be tempted to dismiss the ADA as irrelevant to their lives.
However, those people miss the fact that on any given day, fate could deal them a serious injury or a debilitating disease that would cause them to join the ranks of the disabled. Think they’ll be grateful for the ADA then?
Consider Jim Langevin, a congressman from Rhode Island. At the age of 16, he became a quadriplegic when a gun accidentally discharged and severed his spinal cord. His life changed in an instant.
That was 1980, 10 years before the ADA came to be. “For many individuals with disabilities, this meant that they did not have access to buildings like schools and libraries, they couldn’t find employment opportunities, and they didn’t have legal protections against discrimination,” Langevin said.
Langevin was fortunate to find a college that was ahead of its time in accommodating the disabled, but added that since accessibility was not yet considered a civil right, “I know that many students with special needs across the country were not as lucky as I was.”
The ADA has been tweaked over the last two decades and more changes might be necessary.
Overall, though, it is a piece of work that deserves to be celebrated. Happy 20 years, ADA.
Casualties Of War To honor the men and women in our armed forces and remind our readers of their sacrifices, the Benton County Daily Record is publishing Department of Defense announcements identifying Americans killed in active military operations.
Two sailors died a July 23 incident in Logar province, Afghanistan. Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin McNeley, 30, of Wheatridge, Colo., died from wounds suffered from the incident.
Coalition forces recovered his body July 25 after an extensive search. He was assigned to Assault Craft Unit One (ACU-1), San Diego. Coalition forces recovered the body of Petty Officer 3rd Class Jarod Newlove, 25, of Renton, Wash., on July 28 after an extensive search. He was assigned to commander, Navy Reserve Force Command.
Lance Cpl. Abram L. Howard, 21, of Williamsport, Pa., died July 27 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Headquarters and Service Battalion, 4th Marine Logistics Group, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of North Versailles, Pa.
Opinion, Pages 5 on 07/31/2010