What the Americans with Disabilities Act Means 25 Years Later

April Bautista
Participant Engagement Coordinator

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law in 1990. At the time, the ADA was the world’s first comprehensive civil rights law prohibiting discrimination in employment, transportation, and public programs based on disabilities. This year, the ADA celebrates its 25^th anniversary…and there is a lot to celebrate!

The Legacy of the ADA

Because of the ADA, people with disabilities enjoy the benefits of wheelchair ramps and lifts on buses, accessible bathrooms, and books offered in Braille at public libraries. Universal design is now the “gold standard” in retail product development and architecture. Assistive technologies and devices that increase capabilities of people with disabilities have made it easier than ever to fully participate in society.

   

However, there are significant shortcomings. Despite major strides, the employment rate for people with disabilities is 17.6%. Barriers to accessibility persist in areas like voting and education, and discrimination and bullying are still rampant problems.

The ADA: The Next 25 Years

Despite these obstacles, I remain optimistic. The last 25 years have empowered a new generation of activists who have lived their entire lives during the ADA era. Many Americans have grown up believing that central to the ADA is the notion that every human has the right to be free. It is my belief that we will not only continue to hold businesses, lawmakers, and society at-large to the highest possible standard in upholding the tenets of the ADA but also strive to broaden its scope over the next 25 years and beyond.

We use the infographic below as a training tool for internal education about the history of disability rights. We also share it with consumers and the people we serve to celebrate the ADA anniversary and the work that remains.

Please share this infographic and think about how your organization can support people with disabilities for the next 25 years and beyond.

Customer Service: Helping Consumers and Driving Change

Amanda Cavanagh

Director, Research and Business Development

Customer service.  What does that term mean to you?  How do providers establish best practices for customer service?

Customer service falls in to two basic categories: good or bad.  Let’s be honest.  A poor review is much more interesting to read than a good one.  If misery loves company, then maybe the sour taste from our last bad customer service experience helps us relate to others in the same boat.

For our disability rights community, accessibility to customer service can be challenging.  Is the “Contact Us” page on your website visually accessible?  Is the 800-phone number and supporting call center audibly accessible?  Is your customer service location accessible?  It would be easy to chalk up these challenges as poor customer service.  Instead, we need to look beyond the challenges and see the opportunity to serve our customers.   

As financial management services (FMS) providers, we serve two distinct customer groups.  First, and foremost, program participants are our primary focus.  We manage payroll, taxes, human resource and administrative functions for our participants.   By removing barriers, we enable participants to succeed through dynamic, accessible, and individualized living opportunities.

Through our fiscal services, iLIFE helps people reach their goals and live independently.

In addition to serving people enrolled in long-term care programs, iLIFE also serves programs themselves.  We collaborate with state, federal, and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) leaders.  We have the responsibility to spark ability rights discussions, inform policies, and work with these leaders to serve our communities every day.

In that spirit, exemplary customer service must help people in the moment and contribute to larger causes and changes.  While poor customer service does not make customers happy, it is an opportunity to improve things for the future.  The feelings of a job well done, the positive impact we have on our community, and the life changing lessons we learn from our customers should drive this commitment to delivering quality customer service.

Poor reviews might make for interesting reads.  However, good reviews tell the greatest stories.