07/25/2026
Tomorrow, we celebrate 36 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)—one of the most important civil rights laws in our nation’s history.
The ADA opened doors that had been closed for far too long. It helped make workplaces, schools, public transportation, businesses, and communities more accessible for millions of Americans with disabilities. It affirmed something that should have always been true: people with disabilities deserve equal opportunity, dignity, and inclusion.
As someone with cerebral palsy, I’ve experienced firsthand how the ADA has made a difference. It has helped create opportunities for employment, independence, and community participation that previous generations fought hard to make possible.
But anniversaries aren’t just about celebrating the past—they’re also about looking ahead.
There are still too many barriers to employment, transportation, healthcare, housing, and full community inclusion. At times, it can feel like the progress we’ve made is being challenged or slowed. That’s why we cannot take the ADA—or disability rights—for granted.
The ADA wasn’t the finish line. It was the beginning of a promise: that disability should never be a reason someone is excluded from participating fully in society.
As we celebrate 36 years of the ADA, let’s honor the disability advocates who organized, protested, and refused to accept inequality. Their courage changed our country.
Now it’s our turn to continue their work.
Here’s to protecting the progress we’ve made and building a future where accessibility, inclusion, and equal opportunity are realities for everyone—not just ideals.
Happy 36th Anniversary to the Americans with Disabilities Act!
AmericansWithDisabilitiesAct CivilRights DisabilityAdvocacy