ADA event honors veterans

She's 23 years old. I can't help but call the Americans with Disabilities Act a "she;" my Irish great aunt's name was Ada, which probably adds to the emotion it holds for me. But I digress.

To some, the ADA is just a law that says public places need wheelchair ramps. Maybe to employers it means making an adjustment in the workplace so disabled workers can do their jobs. Maybe to a lawyer it means a cause of action for a wrongly fired client.

They're not all mistaken, but they are missing the point: The ADA may be summed up with two terms synonymous with American spirit - independence and equal opportunity. It's not about special treatment so much as a correction of discrimination, which occurred far too much before the ADA and unfortunately, still happens, as many veterans - the focus of local ADA celebrations this year - can tell you.

It's about rights, yes. Perhaps more meaningful, it's about lives, about living them fully.

In policy terms ADA is a youngster. The elder President Bush signed it into law on July 26, 1990. Congress's intent was to "provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities." The law provides civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities and guarantees equal opportunity in public accommodations, employment, transportation, (federal to local) government services, and telecommunications. In other words, it seeks to ensure that those with disabilities get the same access and opportunity as anyone else would have.

Now consider veterans. As difficult as it can be to return to civilian life after the experiences of military service, Census figures show that more than 3.5 million American veterans also return with a service-connected disability. For these and all disabled persons (whose "disabilities" vary widely among hundreds of different conditions), to face limitations brought on not by fact, but by mere prejudice and stereotypes that prevent them from being considered for jobs - or simply to be treated as second-class citizens - is an unnecessary hardship.

Through the years the ADA has been whittled down, amended, and beefed up again. Law is a living thing and changes along with society. Stigma and misimpressions, more than law, remain the biggest barriers. That's where local advocacy groups such as the Disability Action Center step in. The ADA's anniversary is a great excuse to dispel stereotypes by spreading awareness, and have some fun in the process with music, food, and conversation.

Join the DAC and Human Rights Education Institute at the 2013 Celebration of the ADA with a salute to veterans. Enjoy food and entertainment while learning about the ADA's strides toward independent living and equal opportunity, and local resources for the disabled, their employers and families. The event is July 26, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Human Rights Education Institute at 414 Mullan, at the edge of City Park in Coeur d'Alene. For more information or to get involved see DACNW.org or call my friend Patrick Blum at the Disability Action Center (800) 475-0070.

Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. Contact her at [email protected].