AccessCNY, Local Organizations March to Celebrate Americans with Disabilities Act

On Wednesday, July 26, hundreds of marchers took to the streets of downtown Syracuse to celebrate the 27th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Carole Hayes Collier, longtime disability rights advocate and employee at AccessCNY says the act has had a big impact. “This act has made a huge difference for people with disabilities in nearly every area I could name. Accessibility, community involvement, quality of life and more. There is no piece of legislation that comes close to doing for our community what the ADA has done these 27 years,” Hayes Collier said.

“It’s really exciting to see today’s turnout,” said Matt Seubert, Associate Executive Director of Development and Communications at AccessCNY. “When people come together like this, and show their support for something like the ADA, it deserves to be noticed.”

The Americans with Disabilities Act, signed into law by President George H.W. Bush in 1990 gives protections to people with physical and intellectual disabilities as well as mental health conditions like severe depression and post traumatic stress disorder. The act also requires employers and businesses to provide reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. “The ADA was a true game changer. It transformed our public spaces and made sure that persons with disabilities could take part in many parts of our community that weren’t accessible before,” said Seubert.

“There is no question we still have work to do, no question at all,” Hayes Collier said. “We need better transportation for people with disabilities, among other things. But we have come a long way, and we should celebrate that.”

The march was covered by WAER and Syracuse.com.