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by Nils Skudra, Communications Specialist, DI-NC As we commemorate the 33rd anniversary of the passage of the ADA, it is important that we pay homage to the Congressional leaders who worked diligently to have the bill implemented. One of the leading Senators who sponsored the bill was Tom Harkin of Iowa, whose lifelong support for disability rights was significantly shaped by his own formative experiences of growing up with a disabled family member. He cited this experience in his landmark speech on July 13, 1990, the date of the ADA’s passage, which was notable for being the first speech in American Sign Language to be delivered on the Senate floor. Senator Harkin’s dedication to disability rights earned him a place in history as a renowned champion of the ADA and an advocate for social and economic equality for all Americans, irrespective of their ability or disability. Tom Harkin was born in Cumming, Iowa, on November 19, 1939, to an Irish American coal miner and a Slovenian immigrant mother. Growing up in a close-knit working-class family, Tom and his five siblings were instilled with the values of hard work and responsibility, which Tom adhered to by working a series of jobs – on farms and construction sites, as a paper boy and at a Des Moines bottling plant. In addition, Tom grew up with a deaf older brother, Frank, with whom he spent time learning sign language in order to communicate. This experience, together with the disability of his nephew Kelly McQuaid later on, gave Tom a strong empathy for people with disabilities which would later contribute to his lifelong support for disability rights. Following his graduation from Dowling High School in Des Moines, Tom attended Iowa State University on a Navy ROTC scholarship, earning a degree in Government and Economics. […]

by Nils Skudra, Communications Specialist, DI-NC As we commemorate the 33rd anniversary of the passage of the ADA, we should recognize the contributions of the Congressional leaders who supported the bill on a bipartisan basis. These leaders had a variety of reasons that reflected their respective party lines. While Democratic leaders supported the extension of civil rights to people with disabilities as part of their party’s support for federal legislation on behalf of minority rights, Republican leaders favored the creation of employment opportunities to promote greater economic independence for members of the disability and to facilitate growth in the business sector. Among these Republican leaders was Steve Bartlett of Texas, who worked together with Democratic congressman Steny Hoyer to pass the ADA in the House of Representatives. Airing his views on a viewer call-in discussion of the ADA in May 1990, Bartlett delivered a powerful conservative rationale for passing the bill along conservative lines, addressing a variety of concerns raised by constituents. These motivations played a significant role in Republican support for the ADA, ensuring its passage in both houses of Congress. Steve Bartlett was born on September 19, 1947, in Los Angeles, California, and was raised by a farming family in Lockhart, Texas. As the eldest son on the farm, he was responsible for managing family operations at home while his father was at work, sending his siblings to do chores that he assigned them. This experience provided him with valuable discipline, a strong work ethic, and a belief in the importance of saving one’s earnings rather than spending extravagantly. He later reflected, “There wasn’t any magic to it… If you want to go to college, you have to save money. I had learned from my parents that, if you want to save, you should focus on decreasing spending […]

by Nils Skudra, Communications Specialist, DI-NC As the 33^rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act approaches, we must pay recognition to the numerous disability rights advocates who lobbied for the bill and the Congressional leaders who supported it. One of the most influential figures in the campaign for the ADA was Judy Heumann, who was widely considered the “mother of the disability rights movement.” Internationally renowned for her disability rights activism, she played an instrumental role in the development and implementation of numerous pieces of disability rights legislation, including the ADA. This is especially relevant in the aftermath of Ms. Heumann’s recent passing in March of this year, and therefore it is essential that we preserve and honor her legacy by continuing her life’s work.

DI-NC’s Pat Keul joined Mike Collins of WFAE Radio to explore what Charlotte might look like if it was accessible to all people. Pat is joined by co-panelists Terry Bradley, Deputy Director and ADA Coordinator for the City of Charlotte, and Judith Brown, Founder and Executive Director of 70Forward. https://www.wfae.org/show/charlotte-talks-with-mike-collins/2022-11-16/charlotte-talks-and-wfaes-equalibrium-present-a-public-conversation-on-disability-awareness-and-accessibility-in-charlotte