July 26 marks the 30 year anniversary since the Americans with Disabilities Act’s (ADA) passage into law. Learn more about the ADA, and explore some of the local and online events celebrating this anniversary.

NC Governor’s Proclamation

https://files.nc.gov/governor/documents/files/Americans-with-Disabilities-Act-Day-WR.pdf

Local and Online Events

There are many events happening throughout the country and in North Carolina to celebrate the ADA’s 30th anniversary. We have highlighted just a few. All events are listed in EDT.

Thursday, July 23 7:00 – 9:15 p.m. 

ADA30 Lead On: Celebration of Disability Arts, Culture, Education & Pride! Register here.

ADA30 Lead On Celebrity Promos:

Ali Stroker – https://youtu.be/hxVo3iddlwk
Maysoon Zayid – https://youtu.be/V2lByyCDITw
Anita Cameron and Elaine Kolb’s WE WILL RIDE – https://youtu.be/xmLV4cqGMDo
Maria R. Palacios/CRIP ADVICE TO THE YOUNGER GENERATION – https://youtu.be/k5nsRvKO9Lo
KripHop Nation’s Leroy Moore and Keith Jones/MY ADA STORY – https://youtu.be/s3DP2Vf9RLo
CJ Jones – https://youtu.be/Ec1e3FnT8iQ


Friday, July 24, 2020 1:00 P.M. – 3:00 

This will be the second part in the Southeast ADA Center’s series marking the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act titled Celebrate. Learn. Share. The ADA turns 30. The Future of Disability Rights with Lex Frieden. To participate, please go to the link below to register. Once you have registered you will be emailed a link to the zoom meeting (check your junk mail just in case the email lands there). Also, please forward the registration link out to any of your contacts who may be interested in participating. After listening to the podcast we will hold a brief discussion.

Saturday, July 25 7 – 8:15 p.m. 

Disability Visibility Online Book Event 

A webinar featuring a discussion and readings by the editor Alice Wong and contributors to the book from the Bay Area. 10 lucky participants will receive a free copy! Register for this event. This webinar co-organized by the Disability visibility Project and the Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability.


Sunday, July 26 3 p.m. 
Arts Access is holding a special live online event (Series of Fortunate Events) to share stories and celebrate the ADA anniversary. Arts Access is North Carolina’s only non-profit organization dedicated solely to making the arts accessible to children and adults with disabilities.

Sunday, July 26 5 p.m. 
Crip Camp ADA Celebration

Sunday, July 26 – 7 p.m. 

You are invited to the #ADA30InColor online event.  The Disability Visibility Project called for submissions by disabled BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) writers for #ADA30InColor: a series of original essays on the past, present, and future of disability rights and justice.


Tuesday, July 28, 2020 8:30 p.m. 

Come out to The Drive at Winston-Salem Fairgrounds

The Winston-Salem Mayor’s Council for Persons with Disabilities (MCPD) announces a local celebration to recognize the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The ADA 30th Anniversary Celebration is to honor the progress of the last 30 years while recognizing the ongoing efforts by disability self-advocates and allies to achieve equal access and full inclusion in community life.

The drive-in movie begins at approximately 8:45. The parade will begin lining up at 6:30.

Hosted by the Winston-Salem Mayor’s Council for Persons with Disabilities
(336) 245-5678
wsmcpd@gmail.com


Wednesday, July 29, 2020 2-4 p.m. 
ADATA is hosting a Webinar to Commemorate ADA30: The ADA and Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Employment: Improving the Working Lives of People with Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders


Thursday, July 30 | noon – 1 p.m.

What’s the Deal with disABILITIES: The Triangle Celebrates 30 Years of the ADA 

Representing people with visual, auditory, mobility, and cognitive disabilities, the panelists will share how the ADA has helped them in their endeavors and what still needs to happen to create true inclusivity.

This FREE virtual event is proudly brought to you by a partnership between LCI Tech, LCI, Wake County Economic Development, the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, the City of Raleigh Mayor’s Committee for Persons with Disabilities, Capital Area Workforce Development Board, Walk West, The Diversity Movement, Baering, and the NC Council on Developmental Disabilities.


Thursday, July 30 | noon – 1 p.m.

Gaelynn Lea in Concert
A night of live music and conversation with acclaimed musician and Disability Rights Advocate, Gealynn Lea! Winner of NPR’s 2016 Tiny Desk Contest, Gealynn Lea will share her music and her story in the finale of SDI’s Americans with Disabilities 30th Anniversary celebration!

 

What the A.D.A. Means to Me: Disability rights activists, Judy Heumann, Alice Wong and Haben Girma, reflect on what the ADA means to them.

‘Nothing About Us Without Us’: 16 Moments in the Fight for Disability Rights

The A.D.A. at 30: Beyond the Law’s Promise – This is a series that explores how the Americans With Disabilities Act has shaped modern life for people with disabilities in the 30 years since it was passed.


A statement on the 30th anniversary of the ADA from DRNC’s Chief Executive Officer, Virginia Knowlton Marcus.


To celebrate the 30th anniversary, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) – both at U.S. Health & Human Services (HHS) – partnered to create a website that tells the story of how the ADA came to be, showcases some of the progress we have made as a country toward achieving the ADA’s promise of true inclusion, and illustrates some of the work being done within HHS and across government, to continue to remove the barriers to inclusion people with disabilities often face. Most important, through short video interviews, you can hear from people with disabilities about how the expectations for access and inclusion created by the ADA have affected their lives.

The story of the ADA Signing Ceremony, July 26, 1990

Other Celebrations

Tuesdays with Liz‘s host, Liz Flyer, speaks with NPR Reporter Joe Shapiro about his thoughts on where the disability community currently stands with the ADA.