[Tools & Resources]

30 Years of A.D.A.

In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the signing of the A.D.A, CIL Sr. Real Estate Developer Fran Mazzarella describes her work with AccesSolutions and how A.D.A. has helped.

July 26, 2020 marked 30 years since President George H. W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act (A.D.A.). This civil rights legislation protects people with disabilities from discrimination in employment, access to public facilities and government programs, telecommunications, and more.

“Having access has given people independence,” says Fran Mazzarella, Corporation for Independent Living (CIL) Senior Real Estate Developer who administers the AccesSolutions program, which provides home modifications and specialized equipment to people with disabilities. The modifications she sees most are ramps and accessible bathrooms.

The independence, Fran says, provided both by the A.D.A. and by AccesSolutions, “…gives people the chance to live in safe, clean, accessible housing.” This supports CIL’s mission of providing independence. CIL has always encouraged our clients to build accessibility into their properties, even before A.D.A. was made law. This is why many of our homes are one-story.

“The A.D.A. is definitely an important factor in helping to lessen the discrimination for people with disabilities,” Fran explains, “It provides legal recourse for persons with disabilities to address the potential discrimination based on their disability. That can carry through to their housing needs.” This could be discrimination in landlord/tenant housing.

Though we celebrate 30 years of A.D.A, there is still more work to do in regard to advancing accessibility. Read what disability rights activists have to say. 

 

For more information on the ADA and the celebrations, visit https://www.adaanniversary.org/