Dear DAIP CommUNITY,
Judith Heumann was a leading disability rights activist who helped make our country a better place for Americans with disabilities. She once said, “Change never happens at the pace we think it should. It happens over years of people joining together, strategizing, sharing, and pulling all the levers they possibly can. Gradually, excruciatingly slowly, things start to happen, and then suddenly, seemingly out of the blue, something will tip.”
On July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law—a tipping point–and a landmark civil rights law that affirms the inherent dignity of every person, regardless of disability. Yet, in 2023 we are still advocating, still challenging systemic infrastructures, and still raising awareness for the basic needs of our communities. This system can prove ever more challenging for those who also have linguistic and socio-economic needs.
As a servant in the public education system, I see first-hand how critical it is that our actions and commitments are grounded in ongoing progress monitoring to ensure that ALL students and families receive the necessary support they deserve.
I grew up in a multilingual family who spoke Arabic, Italian, and French— translanguaging (or combining and switching between multiple languages) was part of our Sunday dinner! One set of grandparents came to the U.S. from Damascus, Syria, and the other set came from Palermo, Sicily. When we gathered, my family often shared stories of their experiences across the globe, but also their disappointment that their opportunities continued to be limited even after immigration. Legislation did not yet exist to ensure that they had access to the necessary support and services to fully benefit from the education system here in the states. It wasn’t necessarily safe to be different.
We must not forget that even in recent memory, Differently Abled people were separated, isolated, and even sent away to live under the care of the National Institutes of Mental Health. My mother served in the medical field during that time, and sadly can recount bearing witness to the familial exasperation, division in communities, and ethical concerns that resulted from a system that dehumanized Differently Abled people. Yet she believed that change was possible, and remained committed to the evolution of a holistic system for better care.
I find myself reflecting on this as we continue to build forward and improve our systems, infrastructures, and service models as a nation slowly shifting towards holistic care. For many families across the United States, struggles are complex and braided together with a lack of resources from generation to generation. We must continue to create access points that are responsive to their needs, while creating awareness for sustainable change together. Agencies cannot work alone to do this—we must collaborate to create the collective impact that our communities deserve.
I began studying methodologies of service for Differently Abled students early in my career, with a focus on linguistics and multilingual education. I had the incredible opportunity to serve as an Action Researcher (a role in which you conduct research and take action to solve an issue at the same time). This role ultimately drove me to advocate in Washington D.C. Through the advocacy sector, I learned how families, communities, and networks at large unify to become the critical levers needed to ensure that the ADA is a driving force in legislation that impacts all levels of society.
The ADA was the culmination of years of courageous effort by people with disabilities and other disability advocates and allies, and it came to life through the support of many in Congress. Specifically, the ADA prohibits discrimination by local and state governments, provides standards for privately owned businesses and commercial facilities, protects people with disabilities from discrimination in the workplace, and ensures equal access to healthcare, social services, transportation, and telecommunications. Since its enactment, our country has taken great strides toward the ADA's promise of true inclusion, and Americans with and without disabilities increasingly live, learn, work, play and contribute side by side.
Although progress has been made, there is increasing evidence and bodies of research that support the re-design of systems and continuums of care. To ensure that the critical work of the ADA and like legislation continues to protect civil rights, we need you! We need all of our collective voices to speak up in the places where we live, work, and serve.
The Differently Abled community faces barriers and challenges every day—each with a myriad of potential solutions. There are countless people out there doing incredible work, and each of you truly can make a difference in making our society more inclusive. Here are a few resources to get you started:
- Learn how to become an ADA advocate and ally by reviewing the resources at https://adaanniversary.org/.
- Consider the disability-related language you use by reviewing the Disability Language Guide written by Labib Rahman and Stanford University’s Disability Initiative Board.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Brianna Dominguez-Barnes, a remarkable young advocate for the Deaf community, about her personal experiences interpreting for her deaf parents, and getting deeply involved in Deaf advocacy and awareness throughout her high school and college years. Check out our conversation on DAIP’s blog to learn more about her incredible work.
Members of the DAIP community work across sectors and states to unite, advocate, and respond to immediate needs for our communities. I hope this message will inspire you to join us in this work, and strengthen your own organization’s commitment to supporting the ADA and inclusion for all.
Yours in Equity and Service,
