Are We There Yet? What the ADA Set Out to Do and Where We Are on its 30th Anniversary
Celebrating the landmark legislation three decades later
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the landmark ADA legislation, Perkins School for the Blind is digging deeper into the topic on its blog this month. Their first post examines what the ADA has accomplished and some of the work remaining to create a more equal society. Read on for an excerpt and visit the Perkins site for the full post. This article was posted with permission from Perkins School for the Blind.
Ahmed Alenezi, a 21-year-old graduate of Perkins’ Deafblind Program, never imagined he’d find himself putting on a pair of gloves and getting in a boxing ring—until his senior year. Then, thanks to the Perkins adapted PE program, in which students and teachers work to explore activities that will help them to lead active lives post-graduation, Alenezi began working on his moves in a gym in Watertown, Massachusetts. He hopes to continue boxing and possibly work at the gym where he fell in love with jabbing and hooking.
That’s a far cry from the world before Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) introduced the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was then signed into law by President George H.W. Bush 30 years ago. The ADA’s four primary goals include full participation, equal opportunity, independent living and economic self-sufficiency.
