Reflecting on the ADA: A Continued Struggle for Equality

It’s mind-boggling that over two decades have passed since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law, yet physically disabled people still face blatant discrimination and segregation. The ADA was supposed to be our knight in shining armor, a beacon of hope for equal access and rights. But here we are, still fighting for the basics. That’s pathetic!

I’ve been my own advocate long before the term became trendy. Before the ADA, I fought for my rights because I knew my worth and dignity. I didn’t need a law to validate my existence or grant me permission to live freely. Now, even with laws in place, enforcement remains a distant dream.

What will it take for people to grasp that disability can strike anyone at any moment? I’m exhausted by society’s pity parties for newly disabled individuals—sudden outpourings of sympathy, fundraising efforts, and all. Why must it come to this? If we embraced universal design and genuine inclusion, these reactions wouldn’t be the norm. Friends and loved ones wouldn’t feel sorry for those who become disabled because our world would already be accessible and inclusive. Or would they?

Somehow people think that becoming disabled is the end of the world. Why? Because those of us who are already disabled aren’t included in every aspect of living. So they realize that once you suddenly become disabled, your chances of being included like everyone else is almost extinct. It doesn’t have to be that way. But until society makes an honest effort into creating a truly inclusive space for physically disabled, there will always be pity for our community.

People say life is always about the money. If that’s true, then our country should be accessible everywhere. Yet businesses do the minimum required by the law. If that! Business owners, why don’t you see the benefits of true accessibility? Creating an inclusive environment isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s good for business. When you ensure access for all, you open your doors to more customers, which means higher profits. It’s a win-win situation, yet so many fail to see it.

And then there’s the issue of disabled parking fraud. We need law enforcement to take the time to write those parking tickets. A cop once told me they don’t make it a priority because most of the money goes back to educating the person who received the ticket. That’s ridiculous!

People take a driving test. A written one! It states the rules. If you need to get educated again then you pay for that education. Make them take the test all over again. Give the fines back to the people who are enforcing the law. I’m going to stop here because I’ve written about this before. I get too upset. Sometimes I don’t want to go out because I know I’m going to get frustrated with the parking situation.

And what about the people working in the medical field who get parking decals from their coworkers? What is that about? Where’s the integrity? This is fraud, plain and simple, and it undermines the real needs of those who depend on these accommodations. Law enforcement, it’s time to step up. Issue the tickets, make it hurt, and watch the number of violators drop.

I wrote about this in 2007. Not much has changed! You see what I mean? We should be moving forward. Here’s my article on the parking situation. Click here.

And if you argue with me about this, you’re probably not disabled or you’re disabled and don’t drive. I’m disabled and I drive. So yeah, this directly impacts my life.

Do you know why society isn’t doing enough for equality? Maybe it’s because we aren’t out making noise. We need to speak up. Sometimes I think the government pacifies us by hiring a few of us in policy and programs just to shut us up. Seriously! When was the last time you saw a bunch of us out there creating noise? We’ve become crickets. Quiet. We need to become lions and roar!

When we do speak up, the “advocates” in the system sound like Squealer from Animal Farm. They start telling us how much progress has been made and how much better we are. But I’ve been around for decades. Way before the ADA. I know we are not even close to where we should be. Why? Because no one is enforcing the violators.

But I’m going to move on to another topic here. You see, the entertainment industry should be leading the way in demonstrating equality. It’s not that difficult. Trust me, my middle school students and I discussed several ways for the entertainment industry to include physically disabled people in their work. If they can figure it, I’m sure movie and television producers can too.

It’s 2024, what is society waiting for?

I’d love to see someone in a wheelchair as an extra in a scene. Before you clobber me with one or two examples of recent roles, I know about them. But it’s not enough. We should be in almost every single show or movie. We see every type of person but us. The entertainment industry loves to pat itself on the back for diversity, but how about some real representation? How about showing disabled people living their lives, not just as a token character or an inspirational plot device?

Why isn’t anyone speaking out about these issues? Why do I even need to write this article? This should be old news. We should be celebrating decades of progress, not rehashing the same battles. Yet, the fight continues.

We’re still here, still advocating, still demanding our right to live life like everyone else. It’s time for society to wake up and take real action. The ADA was just the beginning. True equality is long overdue.

If you don’t believe me, read the article I wrote in 2018. How long do we have to wait?
Click here.

But hey, that’s just my bellybutton.

What do you think?

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