July is disability pride month, which honors the passing of the ADA, or Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26th 1990. The ADA helps provide legal accommodations for Americans with disabilities in the workplace, addresses accessibility in public spaces, and helps ensure disabled Americans have equal opportunities (Ablegamers, n.d.). This week, I wanted to shed some light on why disability advocacy is important.
Inclusion is a large part of disability activism, as highlighted in the disability pride flag. The grey background highlights those who have died due to their disability, medical negligence, suicide, ableism, activism, and eugenics. The diagonal stripes represent cutting through barriers. Each stripe highlights a different type of disability. Green represents sensory disabilities such as blindness or deafness. Red represents physical disabilities, like hereditary spastic paraplegia. Blue represents emotional and psychiatric disabilities such as post traumatic stress disorder. Gold represents neurodivergence, including autism. Lastly, white represents undiagnosed and invisible disabilities (UMASS, n.d.).
One place disability advocacy has allowed for better access is in schools. I used many accommodations in school both for my autism, and for my hereditary spastic paraplegia. Being able to have legally protected assistance in the form of an IEP, or and individual education plan, gave me the flexibility to learn in my own way. I was successful with this, as I was an honors student when my accomodations were being met. However, IEP's only started being protected in 1975. Before that, many disabled children were not able to attend school. Advocates helped to pass the Education for All Handicapped Children Act in 1975, which addressed disabled student's needs in school (Education Alternatives, 2024).
Disability activism has also been largely beneficial with government aid. Those who have disabilities who are unable to work can get limited government assistance if they can prove their disability prevents them from working. This helps prevent poverty for those who are truly unable to work. However, these benefits did not become available until 1956. This program is very monumental in helping to secure financial assistance for disabled people who otherwise are unable to earn an income. (Social Security, n.d.). While I am technically able to work, I am very fortunate to be able to take time off to focus on my health and continue my education because my parents can support me. Not everyone can rely on family, which is why having a way for those who need help is so important.
Workplace accommodations have allowed more disabled people to comfortably access a working environment. Legal accommodations can include reassigning tasks, modifying work stations, and adjusting equipment to accomodate the disabled employee. The employee is then protected from any retaliation for asking for accommodations, and is protected from discrimination during the hiring process and employment process for any issues relating to the disability (PACER, n.d.). However, these benefits came with the ADA, so were not legally protected until 1990.
Public spaces such as grocery stores, malls, and government buildings are now required to be more accessible to disabled people. The goal with the accessibility initiatives is to find a balance between increasing accessibility for disabled patrons, and limiting the cost for the business. Creating accessible spaces includes but is not limited to having the required amount of disability parking spaces, creating wheelchair accessible walkways and elevators, accessible bathrooms, and easy to reach fire alarms (ASLO, 2023). Before 1990, there were no clear requirements for disabled people to be able to access public spaces. As highlighted in many of these other paragraphs, the ADA and other laws have helped make accessibility mandatory in a variety of places.
There is still a lot of room to go in terms of advocacy. I personally have been discriminated against in college and at my old place of work. It was really hard to take those experiences and not blame myself or shame myself because I am disabled. Currently, in 2024, I am working with my college to ask that I do not have a class in a building that can only be accessed by stairs or a wheelchair ramp. As of now, that request has not been granted but I hope it will be soon. I still have to put in a lot of work to make my environment accessible. I have frequent meetings with the disability support staff at my college, and I am constantly talking about potential accommodations for potential volunteer and work opportunities. I hope I can contribute to the disability advocacy field throughout my career. I am proud to be disabled, not just because of what I can do despite of my disabilities, but because I think having my disabilities makes me who I am. Lastly, I hope that with time, this list of accessibility requirements will only get better.
Thank you for reading about disability pride month! If you have any questions or comments, please reach at @Anniekrollblog over on Instagram or Facebook. I hope to see you next week!
Comments