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Citizens Options Unlimited Celebrates the Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

“The Americans with Disabilities Act is an absolute victory for people with disabilities,” said Sallyanne Burgess, Vice President of Operations at Citizens Options Unlimited. “But it’s only the start. We need to every single day show every community that we are your neighbors. It’s all of us as members of the community, and ADA takes those first steps.”

It was the advocacy of people with disabilities and their loved ones that brought us here today. Accessible parking, wheelchair ramps, and elevators are common in public places. Public buses in Nassau and Suffolk are wheelchair accessible, and both transportation systems offer paratransit services such as Able-Ride and Suffolk County Accessible Transit, which many of the people we support utilize. Opportunities for employment at a competitive rate with accommodations are readily available for people with disabilities, including opportunities within our own network of agencies. And, disability care and residential support services are available within the community or residential-based setting, promoting the integration of people with disabilities into the wider community.

It is important for us to take a moment and reflect on how far we’ve come.

Before the 1990 passage of federal civil rights law, the Americans with Disabilities Act, people with disabilities faced significant barriers and discrimination in various aspects of everyday life, including access to buildings and public transportation, opportunities for meaningful employment, and care and services within the community.

According to the Center for People with Disabilities, many Americans with disabilities were institutionalized and separated from their family and the rest of society, often in harsh conditions riddled with abuse, neglect, and disrespect. The lack of ramps, elevators, accessible parking and accommodation made it nearly impossible for people with disabilities, such as mobility impairments, to participate in public life. As for employment, discrimination based on disability was common, and employers were not required to provide reasonable accommodations.

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