For most of the close to 3,500 people Rise serves each year in its employment, housing supports, and life enrichment programs, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has had a profound affect on nearly every aspect of their lives. Rise joins millions of Americans this year in celebrating the ADA’s 30th Anniversary.

Signed into law by President George H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990, this important landmark civil rights law ensures that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. Further, the ADA prohibits discrimination in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public.

The ADA gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications.

In 2009, a number of significant changes to the definition of “disability” became effective under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA).

To learn more about the Americans with Disabilities Act, visit adata.org/learn-about-ada.

This article appears in the September 2020 issue of the Rise Reporter.