Americans with Disabilities Act

Daushen Ju

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a landmark piece of civil rights legislation, is a product of bipartisan support. Signed into law on July 26, 1990, the ADA “signals the end to the unjustified segregation and exclusion of persons with disabilities from the mainstream of American life,” declared President George H. W. Bush. Although the passage of the ADA was challenged by some legislators who considered its supporters a “sodomy lobby,” the legislation's history demonstrates an unwavering commitment of the Congress to the more than 43 million people with disabilities in the United States. The ADA protects those who encounter various forms of discrimination, exclusion, and segregation because of their disabilities and gives them “the right to participate in the cultural, economic, educational, political and social mainstream,” said Senators Bob Dole and Tom Harkin in celebration of the ADA's tenth anniversary. The language in the ADA and in subsequent judicial ...

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