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ADA celebrations planned around the nation
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July 15, 2003 -- Saturday, July 26 marks the 13th anniversary of the 1990 signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The day has become a time for celebrations local and national, as disability rights advocates commemorate the signing of a law forbidding discrimination on the basis of disability.
The Jackson Center for Independent Living in Jackson, TN plans to start its celebrating early -- it has three days of events planned, starting on Thursday, the 24th -- a disco ball, a dinner, an exhibit and a picnic. For more on these events, visit http://jcil.j-cil.com/il/ada03.html
Many group are holding events on Friday. In Fort Lauderdale, the Center for Independent Living of Broward and Broward County Board of County Commissioners will hold a celebration in the courtyard of the Broward County Library; there'll be live entertainment, an outdoor luncheon, a proclamation and guest speakers -- "a public forum, creating an opportunity to recognize the importance of eliminating barriers and generate opportunities for individuals with disabilities," as CIL director Karen Dickerhoof describes it.
Walton Options for Independent Living in Augusta, GA, will hold an all-day seminar (info at http://waltonoptions.org/ada2003.htm ); the Center for Disability Studies at the University of Hawaii is sponsoring an "Art Enabled" mural creation event (info at http://www.geocities.com/artenabled/ ); Albany, NY's Capital District Center for Independence will hold a celebration for its volunteers (information at http://www.nobleharbor.com/%7Ecdci/events/events.htm)
On Friday night, Washington DC's Union Station will host a gala put on by the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, the National Council for Independent Living, and ADA Watch/National Coalition for Disability Rights (for information go to http://www.nataliepshear.com/events/ada13/index.cfm or contact Natalie Shear Associates at 202-833-4456)
In Sacramento on July 26, disability advocates are staging the world premiere of the play "Hello/Goodbye Ada Who?" Written by activist HolLynn D'Lil, the play takes an activist look at what's happened to the law at the hands of the Supreme Court in the last decade. The play is online at http://www.raggededgemagazine.com/extra/hellogoodbye.html For more about all the Sacramento ADA Day activities, go to http://station504.com/ADAanniverseryEvent.htm
Every state, and nearly every community, has an event of some sort planned; Illinois alone has over a dozen. For a long list of events around the nation, visit http://www.halftheplanet.org/departments/new_content/ada_celebration_2003.html