Disabled people have changed our society. For much of U.S. history, our community was physically separated from the rest of the world, placed in institutions. Regulations like the Ugly Laws [[link removed]] — left on the books as late as 1974 — came from a societal belief that disabled people should not even be seen in our communities. But we demanded to be seen, and included. In 1977, disabled people held the 504 sit-ins [[link removed]] , one of the longest occupations of a federal building in history. And in 1990, our community crawled [[link removed]] up the steps of the US Capitol building to demand the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. On July 26th that year, the ADA was signed into law , acknowledging our right to full inclusion in the community, and forever changing the political landscape for our community.
32 years later, the ADA remains crucial to our right to access the world — and it also remains incredibly difficult to enforce. As we celebrate over three decades of the ADA, we recognize that this legislation was meant to be the start of changing our society.
If you would like to support a policy organization pushing to continue that change, made of people from the disability community, consider ASAN. We have options for membership [[link removed]] and one time donations [[link removed]] .
The ADA remains a foothold in an ongoing fight to demand our community’s access to our society and everything in it. We’ve used the ADA as a way to advocate for the rights of people with disabilities. That work includes filing a complaint [[link removed]] under the ADA regarding communication access in Arlington public schools. It includes fighting the use of restraint and seclusion [[link removed]] in Fairfax County public schools as a violation of both the ADA and Section 504. It also includes filing an amicus brief [[link removed]] arguing that exclusionary school discipline is a violation of the ADA.
The ADA recognizes that accessibility is crucial. ASAN believes everyone must have equal access to all information about disability policy issues available. That’s why we make toolkits about everything from the federal budget [[link removed]] to Supported Decision Making [[link removed]] in Easy Read and plain language. All disabled people deserve to understand policies that matter to our community.
If you’d like to make a one time donation [[link removed]] , or sign up for a membership [[link removed]] , you can do so here [[link removed]] . We’ve set ourselves a goal of raising $17,000 by mid-August - and every gift matters.
From the ballot box to the front door of our coffee shops, disabled people belong everywhere that life is being lived. In the spirit of our revolutionary history, ASAN is determined to continue the fight to ensure fair treatment of disabled people in all facets of life, everywhere. Will you join us?
P.S. - Don’t forget about our storewide [[link removed]] raffle for donors! Just tweet at us [[link removed]] or email us [
[email protected]] telling us your reason for giving and you’ll get a chance to win your choice of any 2 items from our store. Plus, we might share your message on social media!
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
PO Box 66122
Washington, DC 20035
United States
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