07/27/2025
35 years ago today, on July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush. AAPD co-founder and disability rights activist Justin Dart was by his side on the White House lawn as President Bush declared, "Let the shameful wall of exclusion come tumbling down."
35 years later, the shameful wall of exclusion still exists, and is being built higher by policies and executive orders that force disabled people into institutions, take away our healthcare, and protect employers who discriminate against us.
The current attack on disability rights makes celebrating the ADA today...complicated. But celebrating the ADA's passage reminds us that the dedication and persistence of disabled Americans have changed this country time and again. Disability advocacy is powerful. Our community is powerful. And in this moment, our power is needed more than ever.
We are so grateful for the ADA and the advocates who fought for it. We will honor and continue their legacy by ensuring the ADA is the floor, not the ceiling, of disability inclusion and civil rights.
In the words of legendary disabled advocate Anita Cameron, "Civil rights aren't given. You have to fight to get them, and then fight to keep them."
We'll be fighting alongside you for the next 35 years and beyond, ❤️ Happy !
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