July 26, 2023

Duckworth on 33rd ADA Anniversary: Accessibility Should Be the Default, Not an Afterthought

 

[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement to commemorate the 33rd anniversary of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act and call for more action to build a more accessible America:

“As a result of the unwavering leadership of disability activists and the persistence of the entire disability community, the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law 33 years ago today. While we commemorate their advocacy and reflect on the progress made since the ink dried on the ADA, we must recognize that there is still so much work to be done to make this country actually, truly accessible.”

“To this day, too many in America face a reality where they can't work or get to work, can't go to school or the grocery store—or can't travel without worrying our medical equipment will get broken. Decades after the ADA, we shouldn’t have to keep pouring so much energy just into defending the basic rights our Constitution promised. But so long as I’m in Congress, I will work every day to bring about a tomorrow where Americans with disabilities won’t have to work so hard just to live our daily lives—like making it safer and easier to fly, making our transit stations more accessible and more. It’s past time we make sure accessibility is the default in America—not an afterthought.”

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