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By ACL Administrator Lance Robertson
Earlier
this month we celebrated Independence Day, commemorating the day in 1776
when the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence,
which asserted:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are
created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness.
Today we celebrate another historical moment for independence.
On this day in 1990, President Bush signed the Americans
with Disabilities Act, which affirms those rights for people
with disabilities and significantly expanded their opportunities for
independence.
 One
of our country’s most comprehensive pieces of civil rights legislation,
the ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability and
establishes that people with disabilities have the right to the same
opportunities as people without disabilities. It ensures access to public
spaces, transportation, employment, and countless other things that most
of us take for granted. Its fundamental purpose is the integration of
people with disabilities into the mainstream of American life.
We still have work to do, but the ADA, together with
legislation like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, has
changed our world. Curb cuts are now so common that many younger people
have no idea they originally were created to make sidewalks accessible
for people with disabilities. Innovations and new developments in
assistive technology have exponentially increased access to workplaces,
entertainment, and self-sufficiency. Special education is now a service,
not a place, and children are growing up with the realization that
disability is a normal part of life.
Because of these advances, and many others like them, people
with and without disabilities increasingly live, work and play side by
side. A generation after the ADA, community living is the expectation for
all people, regardless of age or disability.
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That is
not only good for people with disabilities. It is good for all of us. The
strongest and most vibrant communities include people of all ages and
abilities, each adding their voice, perspective and talents. We all benefit
when everyone can contribute to their full abilities, work and grow the
economy, and actively participate in community activities.
The Administration for Community Living was created around the
fundamental principle that older adults and people of all ages with
disabilities should be able to live where they choose, with the people they
choose and with the ability to participate fully in their communities. By
funding services and supports provided by networks of community-based
organizations, and with investments in research and innovation, ACL helps
make this principle a reality for millions of Americans.
At ACL:
- We believe community living
should always be the expectation.
- “Community” means places
where people of all ages, with and without disabilities, live, grow,
learn, work, are valued and create a better shared future together.
- We are committed to
upholding the rights guaranteed in the Americans with Disabilities Act
and reinforced through the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead
v. L.C. – a decision we fully support.
- We are firmly committed to
supporting the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in
implementing the federal home- and community-based settings rule.
- In short, at ACL, we are
fully committed to making community living possible for all.
We are proud of the work that has been done, and we celebrate
the gains achieved since the ADA was passed. That progress fuels our
passion for our work.
As we celebrate the 28th anniversary of the Americans with
Disabilities Act, we also confirm our commitment to working with people of
all ages with disabilities, our grantees and other disability advocates,
and partners across government, industry, academia, and communities to
improve the availability and quality of the services and supports people
need to live in their communities. Working together, we can fully realize
the promise of the ADA.
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