On this day in 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act became the law of the land.
Thanks to the work of many, many grassroots activists like Judy Heumann and advocates like our own Senator Tom Harkin, the ADA has made it possible for people with disabilities to expect the same civil rights as non-disabled people.
Employers can't skip over a potential hire because of their disability or deny accommodations in the workplace. The ADA has made getting around in public significantly easier for folks who use mobility aids, and its influence even extends to the internet. By promoting accessible design on the internet, the ADA also helps provide equal access to information.
These improvements make our communities safer for all of us. One in four Americans live with a disability, and that number only rises as we get older.
I’m proud to be a leader in our party and to carry on this important work. As the Chair of the Iowa Democratic Party’s Disability Caucus, I work daily to ensure that every Iowan has accessibility and support for the life they want to live.
We still have a long way to go. People with disabilities are too often barred from making their own health care decisions or struggle to get the care and aid they need. The Medicaid privatization scheme here in Iowa hit the disability community especially hard.
But this doesn’t have to be our future.
This fall, we can elect Deidre DeJear – a champion for disability rights – to the Governor's office and restore our state's Medicaid program to working order.
Together, we can mobilize to turn Iowa blue and protect and expand on the progress we’ve made.
Are you in, friend?
– Julie Russell-Steuart, Chair of the IDP Disability Caucus
