Submitted by Terry Moakley
I attended United Spinal Association’s April 15th Disability Summit at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia titled “The ADA: The First 20 Years, The Next Generation & Beyond.” It was a tremendous event on many levels.
Much-deserved awards were presented to former Pennsylvania Governor and Attorney General of the United States Dick Thornburgh and his wife, Ginny, for their respective accomplishments in advancing opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Governor Thornburgh was U.S. Attorney General when the ADA was being developed in the Congress in 1989-1990, and he made it very clear in his acceptance remarks that then-President George H.W. Bush viewed the passage of the ADA as a top priority. Mrs. Thornburgh was honored for her many years of work in helping faith congregations be more welcoming to people with disabilities in their worship and their community.
Liberty Resources Inc., the Philadelphia-area independent living center, was also recognized not only for successfully delivering its core services to persons with disabilities but also for providing a broad range of auxiliary services, such as Attendant Care, a consumer-directed service which supports a disabled person’s ability to live, attend school or work independently; and, Specialized and Transitioning Services, which increases outreach and awareness for persons who wish to move out of a nursing home and into the community.
The speakers were terrific, too. They included attorney Bobby Silverstein, who was on Senator Tom Harkin’s staff 20 years ago and is recognized as one of the ADA’s behind-the-scenes architects (now in private practice in Washington, DC); Steve Gold, a Philadelphia attorney, who has won important legal battles in Pennsylvania concerning accessible transportation, and the unnecessary segregation of people with disabilities in nursing homes; the amazing Joyce A. Bender, founder of her own consulting firm that specializes in competitive employment opportunities for people with disabilities; and, attorney Day Al-Mohamed, podcaster extraordinaire and a senior policy advisor with the U.S. Department of Labor, who is helping this important federal agency be more proactive in developing employment opportunities for qualified persons with disabilities.
Everyone takes different thoughts away from presenters as experienced and knowledgeable as all of the above.
I took home three important ideas. First, we have come a long way in 20 years. Look at how much public transit has become accessible, or how many more curb ramps now exist, or how many more businesses have level or ramped entrances, accessible restrooms, etc.
Second, we still have a long way to go. Steve Gold stated that the percentage of people with disabilities in the federal government workforce is 0.88%, or less than one percent! That’s outrageous when we realize that one in five Americans has a disability. Yes, the federal government must hire more people with disabilities, but so do other levels of government and the private sector. To this writer, employment of people with disabilities is THE issue of the ADA’s next 20 years.
Third, the broader disability community needs new, younger leaders. How do we accomplish this? One idea might be for disability groups to work with college and university disabled students offices to recruit younger employees with disabilities. Another real source of talent should be state-run vocational rehabilitation programs. We need to look at the nature of work, too, and how it has changed, and how technology has, and will continue to, change the way we work.
To realize the full promise of the ADA, much work lies ahead. Share your views on how to recruit young people with disabilities as leading disability advocates . And let us know if you think that employment of people with disabilities is THE issue of the ADA’s next 20 years. Or what other issues are most important disabilities issues going forward?
