Today the Americans with Disabilities Act turns twenty. Next year will it not only be old enough to buy its own booze, but it might also see some people who rely on it put in homes. Sound like twenty years ago?
I went to to downtown Portland's ADA anniversary with a weird sense of duality. Here I am praising this huge non-partisan decision that changed not only my life, but the lives of almost everyone around me. Here I am hearing city commissioners and heads of all manner of organizations pledge their ongoing support to the ADA. The Governor even declared this month ADA Awareness month.
Of course this is the same Governor who issued the order to cut nine-percent of the State's budget. A cut that threatens programs started under the ADA. These cuts also fly in the face of the Olmstead decision, which says that no one with a mental or physical disability should be placed in a home unnecessarily.
So, happy birthday to the ADA...
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