July marks Disability Pride Month, coinciding with the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law in July of 1990. “Pride Months” are designated to not only to bring awareness to and celebrate members of certain communities, but to also celebrate the historic actions of thousands that have led to this moment, and to honor the struggles that communities continue to face.
A (very) brief history of ADA and U.S. disability movement
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H.W. Bush and has been called “one of America’s most successful exports.” Many other countries modeled anti-discrimination acts for the disabled community after the ADA. The law banned discrimination based on disability and needed reasonable accommodations in transportation, public spaces, schools, and other areas of life. Congenital disabilities, temporary disabilities, alcohol abuse and illness were all covered under the historic act.
34 years later individuals living with disabilities continue to fight against violations of their civil rights.
Not only did the ADA usher in a new era of freedoms previously denied to the disability community, but it helped those who were not living with disabilities. Moms with strollers and business people with suitcases alike benefit from the multitude of ramps that have been installed in the years since. Closed captioning benefits older adults with hearing difficulties and myself,watching Gilmore Girls for the 5th time who just can’t keep up with their fast-paced scripts.
When President Bush codified the ADA into law, he declared that a “bright new era” was ushered in. But 34 years later individuals living with disabilities continue to fight against violations of their civil rights for employment, accessible housing, and to simply enjoy the public spaces that millions of others can enjoy without barriers to access.
Individuals living with disabilities in Cuyahoga County
In 2022, there were 187,650 individuals in Cuyahoga County living with a disability. Over half of those are female at 54 percent. Over half of individuals living with a disability are white and one-third are Black. However, when examining all individuals in Cuyahoga County, approximately 1 in 6 white residents are living with a disability along with 1 in 5 Black residents.
The older you get, the more likely you are to be living with a disability.
- One in 3 of Cuyahoga County’s older population 65+ are living with a disability
- Around 16,000 of Cuyahoga County’s youth under 18 years are living with a disability
Around 45,000 individuals living with a disability in Cuyahoga County are employed.
- The most common occupation category for individuals living with a disability is management, business, science, and arts occupations, representing 29 percent of the employed population of those living with a disability.
- The most common industry for individuals living with disabilities is the educational services, health care, and social assistance industries, with 26 percent employed in this industry.
Transportation and mobility
Most employed individuals living with a disability drive themselves to work, at 63 percent, but 8 percent indicated that they take public transportation to work. The ADA was vital in ensuring accessibility on public transportation for individuals living with disabilities. For comparison, only 3 percent of individuals not living with a disability take public transportation in Cuyahoga County. However, those individuals likely benefit from many of the ADA requirements on public transportation such as illuminated and slip-resistant stepwells, handrails, and route information on the front and side of vehicles.
Remote work is an equalizer
Eleven percent of individuals living with disabilities indicated that they work from home for their profession, which is a similar rate to individuals living without disabilities in Cuyahoga County. Nationally, the move toward remote work because of the pandemic has greatly benefited individuals living with disabilities. Employment rates for individuals living with disabilities is at an all-time high since at least the Great Recession.
Education,data, and continued conversation will further the cause
July is a time for individuals living with disabilities to celebrate the community's progress in implementing lasting change, but also to honor the struggles that the community continues to face. Sadly, most of the policing of the ADA falls to members of the disability community, typically through lawsuits. Educating individuals on their protected rights under the ADA is essential for change to occur.
A call for more data available on individuals living with disabilities is an important way for program administrators and policy makers to learn about the disability community and to be able to effectively make decisions.
As always, a call for more data available on individuals living with disabilities is an important way for program administrators and policy makers to learn about the disability community and to be able to effectively make decisions.
Recognizing the difficulties that not only individuals with disabilities face daily, but those with intersecting identities face as well, is an important part of Disability Pride Month. History is fraught with individuals with disabilities who fought for civil liberties for their other identities as well. An individual’s disability is often left out of conversations about intersectionality, despite it commonly being an important part of one’s identity.
