1990 saw the installment of a major piece of legislation in the United States: The Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA. Though implementation of the policies outlined in this act was a stepwise process with roots as far back as Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and Section 504 which guaranteed equal employment opportunities and prohibited discrimination on the basis of disability, the ADA solidified the basic foundation that would, in short, protect America's handicapped community.
These protections are seen everywhere, though their origin with the ADA may not be blatant. Doors with handles rather than knobs- if they are not automatic- and sidewalks with ramps. Elevators. The existence of Disability Services on college campuses. Making all public areas accessible to wheelchairs and crutches. These and more are ways that the United States follows the guidance outlined in the ADA.
Such protections were fought over several decades by many demographics, and they are today's generation to use to the fullest extent. In particular, students of all ages and grades, levels of education, and pursuits. Schools and campuses are required to provide accommodations so every student can navigate their educational career with equal ease as their peers.
I can personally testify to the strong influence my accommodations had over my academic success. Congenital glaucoma, a hereditary condition of the eye, caused irreversible damage to my eyesight that can be aided with corrective lenses such as glasses and contacts, but I still lack depth perception and the ability to quickly read font from far away. And while I understand my condition is technically a limit in some areas, it has afforded me much that I have had access to since starting school.
Through the disability services of every school I attended, from first grade through to senior year of college, I have been provided whatever I may need to grant me the same chance of success as my peers with 20-20 vision. Slant boards elevated paper I was writing on to bring it closer to my face, and the font of that paper was printed larger for me to read more easily. The Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired worked with my school, myself, and my family to ensure I was provided with paper with darker lines, the higher contrast allowing me to write for extended periods without straining my eyes.
People reading this may know someone or are someone who has worked with their disability for so long they may feel numb to it. Or accept the status quo without aid because such things as the ADA and disability services are not explicitly mentioned anywhere. But the accommodations make a difference. The few times in high school when I took an exam without any such adjustments- with small font and no breaks- the results were migraines to the point of vomiting from pain. My nystagmus was rendered uncontrollable for hours, causing my eyes to shift back and forth rapidly. All this because accommodations were not pursued- accommodations that were, are, and always will be my right and yours.
And that is the ultimate focus of this discussion. The rights outlined in the ADA are yours. They were made for you before you were even born. They were forged in countless marches and sit-ins, hours hunched over thousands of pages of legislature, impassioned debates and alterations. Construction. Consultation. Much went in to making sure all of America was able to access what her citizens have to offer.
The ADA outlines what circumstances warrant provisions; the definitions themselves are accommodating, and if you fall within that framework, you are granted a badge of honor. Individuals I have met voiced a wariness towards making themselves stand out, of being labeled or branded and being grouped a certain way. But behind the closed doors of the disability service offices, I have seen classmates of every background, clique, major. Peers with different hobbies, involved in sports, drama, debate, and more. They reach out to disability services because the provisions that department grants are their right. I live with inadequate vision every day of my life; it is my right to be given tools to live life more comfortably. In the classroom, that means reaching out and embracing that, yes, I am disabled. It has never been the state of being the word implies; I cannot see well, and it hinders me, though a life spent with my eyes and all their faults makes my horrendous eyesight as much a part of me as the color of my hair.
There is no shame, no discomfort, no disadvantage of any kind to approaching your school's disability services. The real hurdle comes by not seeking out the numerous rights- rights those offices will know even more about than you may dream of- that are yours, were made to be yours, must be yours. The ADA of 1990 was forged with the mindset that if one member of the community was unable to reach their full potential, then the whole community was not flourishing as much as it could be; when one suffers, all suffer. And so the ADA was made as a balm to that pain and discomfort, for individuals with any sort of condition that effects their lives, so they too are able to navigate their goals with ease.
Once more, embrace your status, for with the challenges it presents you, the ADA was made to also give you abilities to offset that. Reach out, research, and march on with the tools to succeed.
