U.S. Attorney Ortiz Hosts Roundtable to Commemorate 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

BOSTON – U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz hosted a roundtable discussion yesterday with local disability rights activists to commemorate the 25^th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

“The ADA remains one of the most important tools we have to advance the cause of civil rights in the United States and to eradicate discrimination for people with disabilities,” said U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz.  “My office is committed to ADA compliance -- through cooperative efforts and enforcement actions -- to ensure equal access in schools, employment, in places of public accommodation, and in the programs and services offered by state and local governments.”

To commemorate this important anniversary, U.S. Attorney Ortiz invited a dozen local disability rights advocates, including the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Boston Center for Independent Living, the Institute for Human Centered Design, Greater Boston Legal Services, and several state and local offices on disability, to participate in a discussion about the most pressing ADA issues facing citizens of the Commonwealth today.  This includes equal access for adults and children with mental health issues, physical disabilities, and vision and hearing impairments. 

The ADA was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H.W. Bush.  It is one of America’s most comprehensive pieces of civil rights legislation that prohibits discrimination and guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to participate in the mainstream of American life -- to enjoy employment opportunities, to purchase goods and services, and to participate in state and local government programs and services.  Modeled after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, the ADA is an “equal opportunity” law for people with disabilities.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office wishes to thank the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights for co-hosting the roundtable discussion.