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The Law That Changed America (And Bush's Life!): 35 Years of the ADA's Impact! · Living Loud and Proud: Disability Conversations

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  Welcome to the Living Loud and Proud podcast,
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  brought to you by Disability Pride Pennsylvania.
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  If you need a link to the transcript for this
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  episode, please visit our accessible website
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  at www .disabilitypridepa .org slash podcast.
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  And now, here is your host. Hey, everyone. Welcome
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  to Living Loud and Proud, the podcast that examines
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  disability -related issues and stories. I'm your
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  host, Phil Rosen. And I'm Ray Decker, Horton.
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  We're so glad you're tuning in today because
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  we've got a really significant topic to talk
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  about today. So, Ray, today we're tackling the
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  Americans with Disabilities Act, or the ADA.
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  It was signed into law 35 years ago on July 26,
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  1990, and it fundamentally changed civil rights
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  here in the U .S. Oh, absolutely. When you think
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  about it, the ADA isn't just some piece of legislation
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  that popped up overnight. It's the result of
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  decades of incredibly hard work, passionate advocacy,
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  and the unwavering belief that everyone deserves
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  a fair shot. Yeah, it's a powerful story. Let's
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  rewind a bit and really dig into how this all
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  came to be. Hear directly from some of the people
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  who fought for the ADA, and then look at the
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  impact that it's had. Well, you know, before
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  the ADA, life for people with disabilities was
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  incredibly challenging. I mean, they faced so
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  many barriers to a full life, whether getting
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  a job, going to school. or even literally even
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  entering a public building. I mean, discrimination
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  was rampant, and its effects were absolutely
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  devastating. Oh, totally. The disability rights
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  movement really started picking up steam in the
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  1970s, drawing a lot of inspiration from the
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  civil rights movement of the 1960s. These activists,
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  many of whom had experienced that discrimination
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  firsthand, began demanding equal rights and an
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  end to all the societal roadblocks. The whole
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  movement was really the foundation for what eventually
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  became the ADA. And speaking of foundational
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  figures, we have to talk about Justin Dart Jr.
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  People often call him the father of the ADA.
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  He was a wheelchair user himself due to polio,
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  and he just crisscrossed the country tirelessly.
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  I mean, he met with so many people with disabilities,
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  heard their personal stories, and really rallied
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  support for this federal law. Yeah, his passion
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  was incredible. He truly believed disability
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  is a natural part of the human experience and
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  that society, not individuals, needed to adapt.
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  Here's a statement he made reflecting on what
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  the ADA truly meant after it was signed into
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  law. The ADA is a landmark commandment of fundamental
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  human morality. It is the world's first declaration
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  of equality for people with disabilities by any
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  nation. It will proclaim to America and to the
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  world that people with disabilities are fully
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  human, that paternalistic, discriminatory, segregationist
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  attitudes are no longer acceptable, and that
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  henceforth... People with disabilities must be
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  accorded the same personal respect and same social
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  and economic opportunities as other people. Powerful
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  words from a man who advocated the moral imperative
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  of the ADA. Oh, yeah, absolutely. I mean, that
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  profound declaration of equality marked a huge
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  shift in public perception and also human dignity.
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  Now, getting the ADA through Congress was a challenging
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  hill to climb. There was a lot of pushback from
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  some folks who were worried about the costs and
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  others who, frankly, don't grasp the widespread
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  discrimination that people with disabilities
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  face. Right. And let's be clear, the disability
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  rights movement wasn't just about smooth lobbying
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  behind the scenes. There were some incredibly
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  powerful acts of direct action that really put
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  the issues front and center for the public. Exactly.
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  One of the most unforgettable moments was the
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  Capitol crawl in March of 1990, as we discussed
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  in season one of this podcast. For folks who
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  might not know, over 60 disability rights activists
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  literally left their mobility aids and crawled
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  up the steps of the U .S. Capitol building. Oh,
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  yeah. It was such a dramatic and clear way to
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  show the world the physical barriers people with
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  disabilities encountered every single day. I
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  mean, it was a heartfelt. plea for accessibility.
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  And it's a strong message that we're not going
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  to be ignored. That kind of visible activism,
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  combined with all the intense legislative work,
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  really built the momentum needed to push the
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  bill forward, despite the significant opposition.
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  And speaking of opposition, this talk... Let's
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  touch on that a bit. Okay, now, you know, critics
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  often brought up concerns about the potential
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  financial burden on businesses and local governments.
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  Okay, now, you had many small business owners
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  and business associations arguing that ramps,
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  successful restrooms, and other accommodations
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  would just be too expensive. I mean, possibly
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  even leading to closure or job losses. Yeah,
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  absolutely. And within Congress itself, even
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  though it ultimately got a lot of bipartisan
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  support, there were definitely members who were
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  very vocal in their opposition or tried to water
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  down the bill. For example, Representative Jim
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  Chapman, a Democrat from Texas, introduced a
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  really controversial amendment. This Chapman
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  Amendment, as it was known, would have allowed
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  employers to transfer workers with contagious
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  diseases, including HIV. out of food handling
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  jobs, even if there was zero medical reason to
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  do so. Yeah, I mean, this was widely seen as
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  a discriminatory attempt to target individuals
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  with AIDS and was vigorously fought by disability
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  rights and AIDS activists. Then you had Senator
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  Jesse Helms, a Republican from North Carolina,
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  who often expressed worries about the bill's
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  broad scope and potential. federal overreach.
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  While they weren't necessarily against helping
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  people with disabilities, their main hang -up
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  was often the economic impact and specific protections
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  within the bill. Yeah, and there were also some
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  who questioned how disability was defined, fearing
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  it would open the floodgates to frivolous lawsuits.
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  And some conservative groups and economists,
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  like those associated with the Cato Institute,
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  even published studies later on suggesting the
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  ADA actually hurt employment rates for people
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  with disabilities because the perceived costs
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  made employers hesitant to hire. I'm going to
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  go on record, though, and say I have a strong
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  suspicion that many of these economists and think
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  tanks allowed their biases to cloud their perspective
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  regardless of the data. Remember, as Evan Kemp
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  Jr. often pointed out, the ADA wasn't just a
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  moral issue. It was smart business. Exactly.
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  Evan Kemp Jr. was another crucial voice in this
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  whole fight. He also used a wheelchair due to
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  a neuromuscular disease and served as chairman
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  of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission,
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  or EEOC, under President George H .W. Bush. He
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  was a powerful advocate. often making clear that
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  economic independence was central to true equality.
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  And here's a compelling statement from Evan Kemp
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  Jr. to the President's Committee on Employment
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  of People with Disabilities, directly addressing
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  the broader benefits of this rights -based approach.
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  Okay, now, as the quote goes, yes, it will be
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  good for business. It will be good for everybody.
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  when people with disabilities are allowed to
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  exercise their full potential as workers, citizens,
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  and human beings. But that won't happen until
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  we adopt a rights -bearing approach that makes
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  it happen. Wow, that statement really connects
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  the dots, doesn't it? It really shows how a fundamental
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  rights approach isn't only morally just, but
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  practical and economically beneficial. Yeah,
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  I mean, yeah, definitely, absolutely. Kemp's
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  argument directly addresses those economic critiques,
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  demonstrating that the ADA was not just a social
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  justice issue, but also a smart economic policy
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  that could benefit everyone in the long run.
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  Yeah, and the bipartisan support for the ADA
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  was definitely key to its success. While the
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  disability community had strong allies in both
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  parties, the final push came from the White House.
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  Oh, and what a moment that was. On July 26, 1990,
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  President George H .W. Bush signed the Americans
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  with Disabilities Act into law right there on
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  the South Lawn of the White House. Thousands
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  of disability advocates were there to witness
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  it. It was incredibly emotional. Yeah, President
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  Bush, known for wanting a kinder, gentler nation,
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  really grasped the importance importance of the
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  ADA historically. His words that day truly highlighted
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  both the moral necessity and the sheer scope
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  of this legislation. Here's a powerful excerpt
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  from his speech at the signing ceremony. With
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  today's signing of the landmark Americans for
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  Disabilities Act, every man, woman, and child
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  with a disability can now pass through once closed
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  doors into a bright new era of equality, independence,
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  and freedom. Together we must remove the physical
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  barriers we have created and the social barriers
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  that we have accepted. For ours will never be
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  a truly prosperous nation until all within it
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  prosper. I now lift my pen to sign this Americans
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  with Disabilities Act and say let the shameful
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  wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down.
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  Yeah. See, that quote, iconic. I mean, it really
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  captured the heart and promise of the ADA, encompassing
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  equality, independence, and the idea that true
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  national prosperity requires everyone's participation.
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  It's even more powerful when you consider the
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  international stage at the time, because what
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  had just happened in November prior to the signing
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  of this bill? Well, the world had literally watched
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  the Berlin Wall crumble. This was a moment where
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  America was breaking down its walls for freedom,
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  mirroring that immense global shift just eight
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  months prior. Yeah, exactly. I mean, he was very
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  much speaking in the spirit of that historical
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  moment. His words emphasized that this act was
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  about. Opening those once closed doors, creating
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  a path to opportunity and understanding that
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  had long been denied. It wasn't about charity.
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  It was about establishing fundamental access
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  and rights. That was huge. So the ADA is this
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  super comprehensive piece of legislation broken
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  down into several titles, each addressing different
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  areas of life. For example, Title I. focuses
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  on employment. It prohibits discrimination and
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  requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations
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  for qualified individuals with disabilities.
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  Then you've got Title II, which is all about
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  state and local government entities. It ensures
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  access to public services and transportation.
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  And Title III tackles public accommodations,
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  places like restaurants, stores, and hotels,
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  you know, etc., making sure they're accessible.
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  And Title IV deals with telecommunications, ensuring
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  access to phone and Internet services for disabled
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  individuals. Right, right. And finally, Title
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  V has a bunch of miscellaneous provisions. including
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  things like protection against retaliation and
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  attorney's fees. Yeah, the impact of the ADA
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  has been absolutely massive. We've seen huge
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  improvements in accessibility, everything from
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  curb cuts and ramps to accessible restrooms and
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  Braille signs in public spaces. Yeah, it's really
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  opened up so many employment opportunities, you
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  know, allowing more people with disabilities
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  to share their incredible talents in the workforce.
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  And it's fostered so much more inclusion in education,
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  recreation and just in community life overall.
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  But, you know, passing the ADA wasn't the finish
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  line. It was really just the beginning. The work
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  of enforcing the law, continued advocacy and
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  how the courts interpreted all that keeps shaping
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  its implementation, you know. Oh, totally. There
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  still are definitely challenges and the fight
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  for full inclusion is absolutely ongoing. But
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  still, the ADA stands as this powerful testament
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  to what we can achieve when we work together
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  and the fundamental rights of every single person.
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  And, you know, what's particularly poignant about
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  the ADA's legacy is how its provisions even came
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  to benefit President Bush himself later in life.
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  Oh, yeah, that's a great point, Ray. In his later
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  years, as President Bush started using a wheelchair
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  due to Parkinson's, he personally experienced
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  the benefits of this very accessibility features
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  mandated by the law he signed, right? He reportedly
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  even joked with his staff about how convenient
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  those ramps and accessible sidewalks were, saying
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  something like, those ramps and those sidewalks
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  are very convenient. Who thought of putting those
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  there? That's such a powerful full circle moment,
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  really. It just drives home that the ADA wasn't
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  just for one specific group, but for all Americans,
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  truly. Because so many of us will experience
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  some form of disability, permanent or temporary,
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  as we get older. His own experience just underscored
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  the universal benefit of a more accessible society.
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  Yeah, and as we celebrate the 35th anniversary
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  of the ADA, it's crucial to remember the individuals
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  whose tireless efforts and unwavering spirit
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  made this landmark legislation possible. Yeah,
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  as we stated before, Justin Dart, Evan Kemp,
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  President George Bush, and countless other advocates,
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  lawmakers, and everyday citizens, particularly
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  those who participated in the Capitol Crawl.
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  played a role in dismantling barriers and building
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  a more inclusive society, even in the face of
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  strong opposition from some within Congress and
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  various interest groups. Yeah, and the ADA reminds
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  us that civil rights aren't static. They're constantly
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  evolving. I mean, it challenges us to always
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  question our assumptions, design our world with
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  everyone in mind, and to strive for a society
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  where every single person has the chance to truly
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  thrive. Yeah, totally. I mean, it really shows
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  that advocacy never ends. So, everyone, thanks
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  for joining us on the Living Loud and Proud podcast
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  today. And we really hope this deep dive into
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  the Americans with Disabilities Act has given
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  you a greater appreciation for its significance
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  and the incredible journey that led to its passage.
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  And if you enjoyed our show today, please share,
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  like and subscribe. Join us next time as we explore
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  another important disability related issue. Bye
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  bye. Please visit our accessible website at www
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  .disabilitypridepa .org. You can find us on social
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  media at Disability Pride PA on Facebook, Instagram,
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  and TikTok.