Happy 30 Years to the ADA!

By |Published On: July 26, 2020|Categories: Joni's Posts, News|

As a member of the National Council on Disability, I was thrilled to see the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act back in 1990. I remember sitting in my wheelchair on the White House lawn, watching President George H.W. Bush sign the ADA into law and thinking of all the possibilities for people like me.

We’ve come a long way since then. Today I can roll my wheelchair into a building with ease, my friend who is blind can walk into a restaurant with her service dog, and children with autism have access to special education programs.

But laws and regulations that provide access to people with disabilities do not guarantee changed hearts toward the disabled.

It’s why I encourage you to join me this year in celebrating the anniversary of the ADA by asking God to work in your heart.

How can you demonstrate a changed heart towards people with disabilities?

It’s as simple as not taking that empty accessible parking spot when you don’t have a special placard and removing hurtful, discriminatory words towards people with disabilities from your vocabulary. Or identifying physical and relational barriers that might be keeping someone with a disability from participation in your church.

In everything you do, make an effort to uphold the inclusion and equality of people with disabilities — demonstrating Christ’s love for them through your actions and words!

–Joni Eareckson Tada

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