Today is the 35th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act being signed into law, and I’m reflecting on the state of people with disabilities in this country. I was one of the lucky few who were invited to the White House for the signing ceremony of the ADA, an honor indeed. For those of us who experience a disability, the landscape has changed dramatically in those 3 1/2 decades.

The ADA is not a law that gives millions of people new rights. Rather it is a law that offers us equal rights. One of the mottos of the National Council on Independent Living was, “Boldly daring to go where everybody else has already been.”

Those few words encapsulate the hopes and dream we all had as we gathered on the White House lawn that summer afternoon to witness a historic moment that would affect each of us.

I can’t recall what President George H.W. Bush offered during the brief ceremony. I merely recall the euphoric feeling that swept over me when he signed his name to the document.

I was very much aware that considerable work was needed in order to make the ADA a reality. Laws had to be rewritten, building codes had to be developed, sign language had to be made available for public events. Yet, the ADA, for which we had campaigned became the law of the land.

As I boarded my plane for my return trip to Eugene, the flight attendant, spotting my white cane, asked if I had been in Washington for the signing of the ADA. I replied, “Yes.” And in a celebratory moment, she escorted me to first class for the return flight.

Certainly, she knew that the new law would not require such preferential treatment, but it capped off my history-making day and made me aware that the rest of the world was watching.

Every day, advocates work vigilantly to ensure that the provisions of the ADA remain in effect for 61,000,000 Americans. We have come a long way but have much work to finish. So, in the words of Justin Dart Jr., known as the father of the ADA, “Lead on.”

Eugene Organ
Eugene