I can’t believe that the ADA is 18 years old. The ADA is the American’s with Disabilities Act signed in to law under the first President Bush. This act was to ensure Americans who have disabilities would have equal access to education, transportation, jobs ECT. Many people felt liberated when the act was signed into law. There thought was things surely would have to get better if you had a disability. As a person, with a disability, I was out of college and working. My friends in wheelchairs were experiencing great success. So for me I wondered what the big deal was!

As the ADA turns 18, I am reflecting on the law. My friend who use wheelchairs say the law has helped just in terms of environment. Restaurants they once could not patronize they can now go and enjoy a meal and within the neighborhoods they can now stroll as there are now curb cuts in most neighborhoods.

I am an idealist, I long for the day when I do not have to think in terms of the ADA. I long for a time when we do not put a price tag on accessibility and the removal of barriers for everyone to be included. I long for the day when we can celebrate the many talents and gifts people bring to the table.

Happy 18th Birthday!

Census Bureau Facts for Features: Americans with Disabilities Act: July
26, 2008

Americans with Disabilities Act: July 26

On this day in 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed into law the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), guaranteeing equal opportunity
for
people with disabilities in public accommodations, commercial
facilities,
employment, transportation, state and local
government services, and telecommunications.

Population Distribution
41.3 million
Number of people who have some level of disability. They represent 15
percent of the civilian noninstitutionalized population 5 and older.

By age -

– 6 percent of children 5 to 15 have disabilities.
– 12 percent of people 16 to 64 have disabilities.
– 41 percent of adults 65 and older have disabilities.
Source: 2006 American Community Survey

16%
Percentage of females with a disability, compared with 14 percent of
males.
Source: 2006 American Community Survey

Using or Needing Assistance
10.7 million
Number of disabled people 6 and older who need personal assistance with
one
or more activities of daily living (such as taking a bath or shower) or
instrumental activities of daily living (such as using the telephone).
This
group amounts to 4 percent of people in this age category.

2.7 million
Number of people 15 and older who use a wheelchair. Another 9.1 million
use
an ambulatory aid such as a cane, crutches or walker.

Specific Disabilities
1.8 million
Number of people 15 and older who report being unable to see.

1 million
Number of people 15 and older who report being unable to hear.

2.6 million
Number of people 15 and older who have some difficulty having their
speech
understood by others. Of this number, 610,000 were unable to have their
speech understood at all.

14.3 million
Number of people with limitations in cognitive functioning, or who have
a
mental or emotional illness that interferes with daily activities,
including those with Alzheimer’s disease and mental retardation. This
group
comprises 6 percent of the population 15 and older.

On the Job
11.8 million
Number of 16- to 64-year-olds who reported a medical condition that
makes
it difficult to find a job or remain employed. They comprise 6 percent
of
the population this age.

56%
Percentage of people 21 to 64 having some type of disability who were
employed in the past year. The rate ranged from 82 percent of those with
a
nonsevere disability to 43 percent with a severe disability. For those
without a disability, the employment rate is 88 percent for the same
period.

44%
Percentage of people with a nonsevere disability who work full time,
year-round. This compares with 53 percent without a disability and 13
percent with a severe disability.

Perceived Health Status
33%
Percentage of people 25 to 64 who have a nonsevere disability and report
their health as being “very good” or “excellent.” This compares with 13
percent of those with a severe disability and 73 percent of those
without a
disability.

Income and Poverty
$22,000
Median earnings for people with a nonsevere disability. This compares
with
$25,000 for those with no disability and $12,800 for those with a severe
disability.

18%
Percentage of people with a nonsevere disability with household incomes
of
$80,000 or more. By comparison, 26 percent of people without a
disability
had household incomes of $80,000 or more, with the same being true of 9
percent of those with a severe one.

11%
The poverty rate for people 25 to 64 with a nonsevere disability. This
compares with
26 percent for those with a severe disability and 8 percent of those
without a disability.

Living Arrangements
60%
Percentage of people 25 to 64 with a nonsevere disability who live in
married-couple families. The corresponding rates are 68 percent for
those
without disabilities and 50 percent for people with severe disabilities.

23%
Percentage of people with a nonsevere disability who live alone or with
nonrelatives. This compares with 28 percent of those with a severe
disability and 19 percent without a disability.

Education
33%
The percentage of people 25 to 64 who had a nonsevere disability and
were
college graduates. This compares with 43 percent with no disability and
22
percent with a severe disability.

2.2 million
The number of undergraduates with a disability, as of the 2003-04 school
year. These students represented 11 percent of all undergrads.
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2008, Table 279
.

Plugged in to the Net …
36% and 29%
Percentages of people 15 to 64 with a severe disability who use a
computer
and the Internet at home, respectively. The respective figures for those
without a disability are 61 percent and
51 percent.

Serving Our Nation
2.7 million
Number of veterans who received compensation totaling $26.6 billion for
service-connected disabilities in 2006.
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2008, Table 508 and
Table 509 at .

Accommodations
96.5%
Percent of transit buses that were ADA lift- or ramp-equipped, as of
2005.
This represents an increase from 61.7 percent in 1995.
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2008, Table 1083 at .

Unless otherwise indicated, all the data are from the Americans with
Disabilities:
2002 report at
.