Today in History: Celebrating the Americans With Disabilities Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) is a comprehensive civil rights law that was signed into law on July 26th 1990 by President George H.W. Bush. ADA covers a wide range of mental and physical medical conditions, including those that not necessarily severe or permanent in nature. It requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees, while imposing accessibility requirements in public areas, such as educational institutions, museums, stores, restaurants, government, and other service establishments. Prohibiting discrimination based on disability in a broad spectrum, ADA was later amended, becoming the ADA Amendments Act (“ADAAA”), effective January 1, 2009.

As we celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act, we draw attention to the following articles from Proquest Historical Newspapers, which informs and inspires classroom teaching and learning:

• Highlights of Americans With Disabilities Act. (1991, Jul 22). The Hartford Courant (1923-1994)

• Becker, R. (1991, Aug 19). Towns Move Cautiously On Disabilities Act. Chicago Tribune (1963-1996)

• Harrigan, S., & Pamela Mendels, S. W. (1991, Dec 23). The Door Opens Slowly. Newsday (1940-1991)

• Kerch, S. (1992, Jan 19). Disability Law Arrives, With Uncertainty In Tow. Chicago Tribune (1963-1996)

• Clark, K. (1992, Apr 27). Barriers Come Tumbling Down: Americans With Disabilities Act Will Change the Way Employers Define Jobs, Design Workplace. The Sun (1837-1994)

• Randle, W. (1993, Jan 24). Where Do We Go From Here?: Year Later, Law For Disabled Hasn't Lived Up To Dreams. Chicago Tribune (1963-1996)

• Piasecki, A. (1995, Jul 27). 4-Block March, Speeches Mark Fifth Anniversary Of Federal Disabilities Act. Chicago Tribune (1963-1996)

• Imparato, A. J. (2000, Jul 29). Redefining Disability. The Washington Post (1974-Current File)

• Americans with Disabilities: Act II. (2000, Aug 03). Los Angeles Sentinel (1934-2005)

• Heelan, A. (2015, Mar 17). There's No 'Average Learner' But We Still Teach As If There Were: Opinion Universal Design For Learning Adapts To Students' Needs and Could Combat High College Dropout Rates. The Irish Times (1921-Current File)

Books:

• Colker, Ruth. The Disability Pendulum: The First Decade of the American with Disabilities Act. New York: New York University Press, c2005. e-book.

• Hamraie, A. Building Access: Universal Design and the Politics of Disability. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2017. e-book.

• Heumann, Judith. Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist. Boston, Mass.: Beacon Press, 2000. e-book.

• Kent, J. ADA In Details: Interpreting the 2010 Americans with Disability Act Standards For Universal Design. New York: John Wiley & Sons, c2017. e-book.

• Mezey, Susan Gluck. Disabling Interpretations: The Americans with Disability Act in Federal Court. Pittsburgh: The University of Pittsburgh Press, 2005. e-book.

• National Association of the Deaf. Legal Rights: The Guide for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People. 6th ed. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press, c2015. e-book.

• Roades, Marcela Abadi. Applying the ADA Designing for the Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design. Hoboken: Wiley, 2013. e-book.

Other:

• The ADA Project. Quinnipiac University School of Law Civil Justice Clinic and the Legislation Clinic of the David A. Clarke School of Law at the University of the District of Columbia. 

• Transcript of Fact Sheet: The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990. Release from the White House. National Archives.

In Recognition of the 30th Anniversary of ADA, more Gottesman resources:

• Disability Inclusion in Libraries. Blog Post by Jordyn Blakely. July 8, 2020.

• Library Resources and Services for Special Education and Inclusivity. A Research Guide, Compiled by Rachel Atlvater and Allen Foresta.

• Visibility on the History of Disability. 2020 July-August Staff Picks, Curated by Lauren Young, Designed by Trisha Barton.

Looking ahead, Universal Design for Learning, an educational framework that guides the development of flexible learning environments and spaces for individual learning differences, is another important area for consideration, particularly in a time of remote education.

Images:

• Photo of President George H. W. Bush Signing the Americans with Disabilities Act Inscribed to Justin Dart, Jr., 1990, Courtesy of Wikimedia

• Disability Symbols, Courtesy of Wikimedia