This week marks the silver anniversary of landmark legislation for Americans with disabilities, indeed for all Americans who recognize the value of placing the whole of society on equal footing. On July 26, 1990, President George H. W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act, modeled after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and ending one more form of legal discrimination. The ADA opened doors to equality of opportunity, full societal participation - including government access and representation, independent living, integration, and economic self-sufficiency.

To be protected by the ADA, one must have a "disability," defined as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Over time ADA protections have extended in certain cases to those experiencing discrimination who are related to, or have helped, people with disabilities. The ADA is divided into five titles:

1. Employment (Title I): Requires covered employers to provide reasonable accommodations for, and prohibits discrimination against, applicants and employees with disabilities. Reasonable accommodation may include restructuring tasks, making workstations accessible, modifying schedules, providing interpreters or other services, and modifying equipment and policies. Information and funding assistance may be available to help employers and employees with accommodation, coordinated from local organizations such as Coeur d'Alene's Disability Action Center.

2. Public Services (Title II): State and local governments and agencies cannot directly or indirectly deny services, programs, public transportation, or activities to people with disabilities which are available to people without them.

3. Public Accommodations (Title III): This applies to restaurants, hotels, and stores, as well as privately owned transportation systems and requires that all new construction and modifications must be accessible. For existing facilities, barriers to services must be removed if readily achievable.

4. Telecommunications (Title IV): Companies offering phone service to the general public must have telephone relay service to those who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TTYs) or similar devices.

5. Miscellaneous (Title V): Prohibits coercing, threatening, or retaliating against individuals with disabilities or those attempting to aid people with disabilities in asserting their rights under the ADA.

The ADA is not about special privileges. It's about connecting links in the chain of society so we can fully function as a whole. Each human being is a potential resource to their fellow man, with unique abilities and differences which may be put to an advantage. If we look for them without prejudgment.

For more information about the ADA's requirements and benefits, see ADA.gov or contact Disability Action Center (208) 664-9896.

Speaking of discrimination, a brief addition to Tuesday's column about the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII, with thanks to reader S.H. The quote by former internee George Takei is easily misconstrued; some people of German and Italian descent were indeed also sent to camps and sadly suffered the same hardships. They deserve recognition. Mr. Takei likely generalized, as these were far fewer in number (roughly 10,000, as exact numbers are unknown) than were those with Japanese heritage, and represented selected individuals, rather than every person in America of a certain ethnicity, as was the Japanese internment.

Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. Contact her at Sholeh@cdapress.com.