Pittsburgh disability groups explain significance of ADA

From The Tribune-Review in Pittsburgh, Pa.:

Rick McWilliams (pictured) never wears a tie. But on that hot, muggy summer day in Washington almost 20 years ago, he remembers braving the heat while keeping his Windsor knot intact.

The date was July 26, 1990, and McWilliams was on the White House lawn when the Americans With Disabilities Act was signed into law.

On Friday, McWilliams, without his tie, and members of the Westmoreland County Disabilities Task Force, the Three Rivers Center for Independent Living and other groups gathered at the Westmoreland County Courthouse to mark the 20th anniversary of the ADA.

"The (ADA) is kind of like our own civil rights act," said McWilliams, program manager for the disabilities task force. "We liken it to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. We like to not only make people with disabilities aware but also increase public awareness that people with disabilities are like everyone else."

John Herrmann, chairman of the task force, said the rally was not just a celebration.

"This rally is to break down the stigma (associated with) people with disabilities," Herrmann said. "We also need to let (disabled) people know of the help that is available to them."

Herrmann added that there are similar rallies across the nation this month.

Although the bill has helped create more opportunities for disabled people in the 20 years since it was passed, McWilliams said, there are still major obstacles that must be overcome, specifically the high unemployment rate of disabled people.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 75 percent of the "civil noninstitutional population" of people with disabilities are not in the work force. The unemployment rate in that group is more than 14 percent.

"Employers think it's a hassle to hire (a disabled person)," McWilliams said. "But we are out there trying to be like everyone else. Most of us just want an opportunity to take part in the American dream: become a homeowner and have a job and a family."

Rob Oliver, advocate at the Disability Rights Network, said the more disabled people who get involved and into the community, the faster the advancement of others will be.

"I would love to get people out of the nursing facilities and into the community," he said. "Getting involved will impact the attitudes of those around us toward people with disabilities."