The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is often recognized as the climax of the Disability Rights Movement. While it remains an important piece of legislation, it has never been more important for us to continue advocating for disability rights. 30 years ago, public buildings weren’t legally required to be accessible for people with disabilities. Since I'm a power wheelchair user, that reality is extremely uncomfortable to me.
Before the ADA was passed on July 26, 1990, disabled people were forced to stay at home and live mostly solitary lives. We did not have equal access to pursue an education, to work, or even to spend time with friends and family. The ADA forced our country, and its citizens, to recognize that these accessibility issues go against our basic, human rights. As a result of the ADA, disability is now more visible than ever. For example, while there were never any disabled characters in movies and TV shows, disabled actresses and actors are now starting to be cast for a variety of roles. Additionally, commercials are beginning to feature wheelchair users and people with developmental disabilities. While there’s certainly room for improvement, I want to point out that we are making progress. This point is very important for understanding where we came from, and for what we need to do in the future.
I wouldn’t say that disability is becoming “normal" or "mainstream" in our society. However, by featuring disabled people in popular movies and shows, disability becomes much more visible and is difficult to ignore. Why does this matter? Let’s say that you have never met a disabled person, but you watch the hit TV show Glee. Since one of the main characters is a wheelchair user, you finally witness what it might be like to have a physical disability. Just by watching the show, you begin to learn things about wheelchair users and disability, and start to form ideas in your mind about both. Are these definitions completely accurate? Of course not! But the show still forces you to recognize that disabled people are real, and that we have goals, feelings, jobs, friends, talents, hobbies etc. It shows you that disabled people are different, but that we are still people.
Despite all of the positive change, people with disabilities still deal with discrimination every day. For those of us with complex disabilities, we constantly struggle to get the equipment that we need to survive. I am one of many people that rely on Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) to live a happy, healthy, and productive life. CRT includes any wheelchair that is modified to meet the unique needs of the wheelchair user. Since these devices are expensive, CRT users have had to fight for our rights to CRT. Without it, we’d be stuck in bed, unable to attend school or work, or even care for ourselves. Since CRT is extremely important to our health and well-being, it's not an exaggeration to say that we’d be at risk of getting sick and experiencing other health problems, including death.
Want to get involved with CRT advocacy? To read up-to-date news, and to learn how you can help, check out NCART and NRRTS!
Kyle Romano
