An interesting story on wbay.com written by Andrea Hay about the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). She explains some of the effects the ADA has had including workplace discrimination laws. She tells the story of one Wisconsin man who has immensely benefited from the ADA.

How far have we come? The Americans with Disabilities Act 25 years later

By Andrea Hay

From accessible buildings with ramps and wheelchair lifts to automatic doors and elevator keypads, many experience the effects of the Americans with Disabilities Act every day without even realizing it. But to some people with disabilities, the past 25 years have made a world of difference.

Tom Deidrich lost his arm in a farming accident at age 18, and later, a car accident broke his neck and left him paralyzed. He says living as a quadriplegic in the 1980s meant rarely leaving the house, and finding work nearly impossible.

I applied for a job in Green Bay doing interior sales work, got called in for an appointment to meet with the manager, told him who I was, and he looked at me and said you cant work here, said Deidric.

That cant happen now, and thats important. I dont think people realize how blatant the discrimination was, he said.

Deidrich says his life changed when the ADA declared equal access to everything public in 1990. Movie theaters, grocery stores and shopping centers put in ramps, elevators, and create wider doorwaysas well as other accessibility requirements on public accommodations. The upgrades imposed on businesses made the act controversial.

Workplace discrimination of people with disabilities became illegal. Diedrich gained employement at Options for Independent Living, and even helped the Green Bay Packers renovate for people with disabilities. They really did an excellent job, he said, adding they went beyond the requirements.

A lot of positive things have happened, but were not done yet, said Deiedrich. Transportation is a big issue. While weve got very good transportation services here in the metropolitan Green Bay area, what about people in the country who have issues and cant drive?

He says his mission is to end discrimination permanently in business and home life alike.

[People with disabilities] want to be your next door neighbor. They want to be able to work and pay taxes just like everybody else, he said.

A MONUMENTAL TIME FOR CIVIL RIGHTS

Two years prior to the passing of the America ns with Disabilities Act, Eunice Kennedy Shriver won her uphill battle to gain official approval to use the name Olympics in the Special Olympics.

Its the only other thing that can be listed as having Olympics in it because the actual Olympics are so well known, explained Matt Harper, Special Olympics Wisconsin Regional Director.

So she had to fight through and kind of work through a lot of controversy and use her family name and do whatever it took to get Special Olympics recognized in the disability community and make sure that everybody knew what Special Olympics was trying to accomplish, he said.

The Special Olympics has grown from a small event just a few hundred athletes in in Soldier Field to millions of athletes all over the world, with the International Torch Run Conference hosting thousands of attendees. This years torch run will be held in the Bahamas, and hundreds of law enforcement officers will participate to raise money for Special Olympics.

Source: http://wbay.com/2015/05/24/how-far-have-we-come-the-americans-with-disabilities-act-25-years-later/