Dear Community Members,

Monday, July 26, 2021, is the 31^st Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  The Anniversary gives us all occasion to re-connect with the spirit and determination of those in our community who fought for the law, as well as to re-commit to their example of civic engagement. 

Our History is Our Present:

The ADA was enacted because people with disabilities worked together for many years and got involved in many ways. To learn about these efforts, here are some resources:

This history of the ADA by Arlene Mayerson of Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund is a detailed account of the many ways people with disabilities persisted to advocate for civil rights. 

The Capitol Crawl, when people with disabilities crawled up the steps of the U.S. Capitol to keep the pressure on Congress, is regarded as a dramatic turning point in the fight.  This video of the Capitol Crawl has original footage of this event. 

San Francisco has a unique place in the history of the disability civil rights movement.  The New York Times published an article about the Section 504 sit-in in the San Francisco federal building.  There is a video about the historic sit-in, a virtual exhibit curated by our colleagues at the Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability (hyperlink to Patient No More) https://longmoreinstitute.sfsu.edu/patient-no-more and the Oscar-nominated documentary Crip Camp, just for a start.

Engage with us:

If you’re inspired by this rich history, there are important civic issues in San Francisco now that you will have opportunities to influence. 

Emergency responses to COVID have temporarily changed how we navigate our City, and especially our outdoor spaces. The temporary closure of JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park  in particular has been of great concern to  many in the San Francisco disability community.  Later this summer, the Recreation and Parks Department and the MTA will hold community engagement sessions to hear from people with disabilities and get feedback about the proposed Action Framework (link to: https://www.sfcta.org/ggp-stakeholder#panel-reports-documents  including accessibility improvements and impacts..    

There will also be engagement sessions regarding the Great Highway  MOD will send out additional information about these efforts as soon as it becomes available. If you are not part of our distribution and would like to be added, please e-mail us at mod@sfgov.org

Celebrate with us:

Here are some ADA Anniversary events and activities to participate in this week:

Want to view Crip Camp and other great films by or about disabled people?  r Independent Living Resource Center  of San Francisco is sponsoring Disability Film Week, screening one film a day at 7 pm from Monday through Friday.  To register and receive the Zoom address, send an email to Brianna Sendziak at brianna@ilrcsf.org or call 415-543-6222, ext. 1103. 

New Approaches to Web Accessibility Requirements under WCAG3
Tuesday - July 27 at 2-3:30 pm [Eastern]
Free (registration required by July 26)
Source: Webinar Series: Section 508

The ADA @31: A Conversation with Bobby Silverstein and Susan Mazrui
Thursday - July 29 at 2-3 pm [Eastern]
Free (registration required by July 28)
Source: Employer Assistance and Resource Center (EARN), Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)

Beyond the ADA: Reflections on the Past and Visions of the Future

Friday, July 30th, 2021         2:00 PM EDT - 3:00 PM EDT

Web event    Webinar Registration - Zoom

Source: Communication Services for the Deaf

Happy Anniversary, everyone!