Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - Hundreds gathered at the Arise building on James Street and marched to the Oncenter in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The participants included numerous local politicians and dignitaries who proclaimed July as Disability Awareness Month.
The historic legislation determined that all people would have the same access to public and commercial facilities, employment, transportation, and government access, regardless of disability.
Nearly 300 people took part in Monday's parade, to draw attention to the law which gives rights to those with a disability, along with increasing access to buildings and public facilities.
"It is special because the Americans With Disabilities Act gave us our freedom and rights, the same as everyone else," said parade organizer Sally Johnston.
People taking part in the parade also point out the Americans with Disabilities Act also went a long way in eliminating discrimination by employers for nearly 43 million Americans.
Americans with Disabilities Act marks 20th anniversary Monday
July 23
Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - After changing, and improving, the lives of Americans for two decades, Monday marks the 20th anniversary of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act.
Four years before the ADA was signed into law, Darryl Storie protested the lack of handicapped accessible busses in 1986. "We wanted to get on this bus, we wanted to get on any bus, we wanted an accessible bus to go where we wanted to go when we wanted to go," he recalled.
It took awhile, he says, but Centro buses for years now have been offering Storie and thousands of others the ability to go where they want, when they want.
"I happen to be deaf but my deafness doesn't disable me," said Michael Schwartz from the Disability Rights Clinic at SU's Law School
Through his wife, Schwartz said that before ADA, access to interpreters was difficult and there was no closed captioning on TV or movies. He believes that things have gotten better because of the law. "The ADA put disability on the radar screen, people are talking about it, people are aware of it."
The ADA has led to a lot of changes, in every part of life. Buildings now have ramps and at intersections curb cuts allow for easy access.
"The more we get into the mindset that an inclusive community benefits everyone the better off we will be. Curb cuts benefit people who use wheelchairs, but they benefit people who use strollers, they benefit people who use bicycles," said Tania Anderson, Board President of Arise.
"Things are changing, things are getting better and hopefully it'll continue," said Storie.
Since the ADA was signed in 1990, there is one statistic that hasn't changed: 66 percent of disabled people are still either unemployed or underemployed.
The ADA's anniversary will be celebrated in Syracuse with a walk from Arise on James Street to the OnCenter.
