I was also there at the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I was one of thousands of people with and without disabilities on the White House lawn who reveled in the significance of the event. The ADA meant America finally recognized the civil, political and economic rights of people with disabilities. The law showed the world that the United States had taken a significant step forward in guaranteeing that Americans with disabilities would share in the economic, political, social and technological opportunities guaranteed by the United States Constitution and other laws.

The ADA unleashed the creative abilities of people with disabilities, and today America is stronger for it. And when the full benefits are felt, America will be a million times stronger and more prosperous, because millions of people with disabilities will be employed.

The ADA has already made America economically stronger. We have more people with disabilities working today than we did 10 years ago, though we still have a long way to go – a 70% unemployment rate among severely disabled people is a national disgrace. However, there are now various assistive technology products on the market today, which provide people with the most severe disabilities the opportunities to be educated and employed. It is also encouraging that tens of thousands of employers know more about assistive technology today than they did a decade ago.

In the past 12 years, hundreds of new manufacturers of assistive technology products have gone into business. Assistive technology products are used by people with disabilities in school, at home, at work and for travel and recreational purposes. Section 508 of the 1998 Rehabilitation Act will only strengthen the ADA in the area of reasonable accommodations, and will expand telecommunications opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

America is a more accessible society than it was a decade ago. Buildings, theaters, restaurants, schools, retail stores, and places of worship have been opened to people with mobility disabilities. We now have curb cuts to help people using wheelchairs, canes, crutches, and strollers. Courses in disability issues, universal design and accessibility are now taught in our universities.

ADA lawsuits, serious and frivolous, have hit the courts. Lex Frieden, Senior Vice President of the Texas Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR) in Houston says, “The future will see employees with disabilities filing ADA lawsuits in these areas: environmental illnesses, psychiatric conditions, environmental distress related to the workplace, temporary disabilities, and telecommuting.”

Already, young people with disabilities preparing to graduate from high schools and colleges are contemplating filing ADA lawsuits if they are not offered jobs because of their disabilities. “I’m 22 and will graduate next spring. The first time I believe an employer rejects me because of my disability, he is meat for the law,” says Susan Hernandez of New York City. She has cerebral palsy.

The U.S. Supreme Court has brought the ADA to the forefront of national consciousness through its decisions. Regardless of criticism or approval, their decisions have raised the news media’s awareness of the ADA.

Nothing unites people with disabilities more passionately and swiftly than telling them the ADA is under attack. When Washington politicians try to legislatively weaken the ADA, they encounter the vocal disapproval of people with disabilities and their families.

Because of the ADA, people with disabilities are researching candidates and putting their votes behind those who will protect the law. Though only 12 years old, the ADA is the bulwark for disability rights. To keep the ADA strong and viable, people with disabilities must work to make it stronger. Many people with disabilities still need to demonstrate their citizenship and become active in their communities. Disability issues such as jobs and equal treatment under the law are everyone’s issues.