PERSPECTIVES: The ADA Generation Speaks Up
By Charlie Miller
Recently, I was asked what the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) means to my generation. For me, the ADA means that I get to live my life. If the ADA wasn't here, then no one with a disability would be either. Things like bathrooms, kitchens or even public buildings wouldn't be accessible, and that would keep a whole group of people from living their best life.
People with disabilities have given a lot to society in, for example, research, art and movies. The ADA means that I can be whatever I want to be and live up to my full potential. This generation of people with disabilities is going places that other generations haven't been before. We are now traveling across the globe to learn new things so that we can all grow together. Before the ADA, you couldn't travel with a disability. People saw that there needed to be a change, and they took action to help one another. The older generation had to fight to get the law put in place, but my generation has never had to live in a world without the ADA. However, my generation needs to work to make the ADA better.
When the ADA was enacted, it worked for that generation, but now it is time for the younger generation to pick up where the older generation left off.
I want to share a story: I recently went to an event downtown. It was a huge event, and I was very excited to be there and be a part of it. However, when we went to the restaurant for dinner, there were only stairs to get into the restaurant. My brother went upstairs and asked the hostess to help us. The manager, then, had to go to a different building and unlock an elevator to get us into the restaurant, and I ended up having to go into dinner through the kitchen. Yes, this building was technically accessible, however, the way I had to go about getting in made me feel like there is room for improvement.
As the future, we need to make sure that we don't get left behind waiting for someone else to make the world accessible.
There is still some disconnect between people with disabilities and people without disabilities. A person without a disability doesn't understand the preparations that I have to make every day. For example, I have to do more research before I go on a vacation. I have to make sure that where I'm going is accessible. If I'm going to the beach, I have to make sure that there is a ramp to the beach, and that there is a beach wheelchair available for me to use.
It is time to start moving forward so that current and future generations don't have to be anxious about the world being more accessible. Thanks to the ADA, I'm going to a university, living on my own, and working to make the world more accessible. The ADA has brought us hope in everyday challenges, but there are still some improvements that could be made.
Now it is time to gather together to make the future brighter for the next generation.
Charlie Miller, 21, is a sophomore at Kennesaw State University's Academy for Inclusive Learning and Social Growth. He is also a former GCDD public policy intern.
Tags: Making a Difference, Perspectives