Happy 30th Americans with Disabilities Act!
Celebrate, Learn and Share
Location
Online
Date
July 26, 2020 (All Day Event)
Description
Today is the 30th anniversary (July 26, 2020) of the
Americans with Disabilities Act which prohibits discrimination against
people with disabilities in many aspects of public life: employment,
public services, places that are open to the public, transportation and
more. Judy Heumann and other advocates lead this seismic shift toward inclusion as well as the history and future of Disability Rights.
Looking for opportunities to celebrate the ADA anniversary? Ideas include:
- Share a #ThankstotheADA moment on social media
- Join the Virtual Disability Pride Parade
- Enjoy films from the Disability Film Challenge, which meet the challenge of disability representation on film
- Become aware of different perspectives, here are two: Don't Look Down on Me; How a Blind Astronomer was Able to Hear the Stars;
- Laugh and learn with comedians Stella Young and Maysoon Zayid
- Read more about it especially on an intersectional basis - sample titles include: Disability Visibility and All The Weight of Our Dreams
- Watch a movie such as Crip Camp, a Disability Revolution with a friend and talk about it.
- Visit a DisABILITY History Museum, or a Museum of Disability History online to consider what gains have been made, and the work that persists.
- Experience an Interview of the Honorable Tony Coelho, chief sponsor for the ADA bill in the House of Representatives and lifelong disability advocate. Learn more about the Section 504 sit-in with Judy Heumann.
- Participate in upcoming events throughout this 30th year with UMBC's Office of Accessibility and Disability Services.
As
a campus, state and nation, we are making steady progress with
accessibility and inclusion, though the work remains as we strive to
remove barriers and end structural inequality. Beyond grassroots
efforts, change arose with the support and communication of elected and
appointed Representatives, Senators, Presidents, and Supreme Court
Justices - voting matters!
Communication and connection matter as well - UMBC resources include:
- Student Disability Services for accessible education services for all students: undergraduate, graduate, summer, winter and more
- Accessibility and Disability Services for work (faculty staff and student employees) and campus-wide matters
- Report Accessibility Concerns online
- Interested faculty may engage with the Disability Studies Working Group
This
promises to be a tremendous anniversary year - we strive for equal
access and opportunity as a campus, county, state and nation in the midst of maintaining social
distances, wearing masks and washing hands for the full spectrum of
humanity. We are grateful for legislative and judicial momentum, and acknowledge that, like Lucille Clifton's invitation to *celebrate, we must "hold tight" as we create more progress. Stay tuned as more events are planned!
UMBC Resources remain available remotely while the physical campus is closed:
Also, we are aware of the Department of Justice Warning about Inaccurate Information on Face Masks and ADA (DOJ link)and
remain available to consult with employees about their own health
concerns if the aforementioned UMBC COVID 19 Response information is
incomplete - call 410-455-5745 or email slazar@umbc.edu.
Photo of split fortune cookie with message "A plan you have been working on for a long time is taking shape" on a light blue background by Elena Koycheva on Unsplash
