This month marks the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the landmark federal legislation that provided basic civil rights protections for disabled people. Yet over the past year, the United States has seen incredible inequities amplified by the pandemic, which have resulted in hundreds of thousands of disabled people dying in hospitals and congregate settings. The country could also be seeing one of the biggest increases in disability rates since the polio epidemic, with one-third of COVID-19 survivors reportedly suffering long-term symptoms.
As the nation continues to grapple with the effects of a global pandemic, it is more important than ever to pass bold, progressive policies to ensure that the disability community is not perpetually ignored during times of emergency. So far, most policy changes have been temporary. But as we look to the future, we know the United States needs more permanent changes to its physical, social, and economic infrastructures.
Please join the Center for American Progress, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), and a panel of cross-movement organizers and policy experts for the commemoration of the ADA and a discussion on how we can build back better infrastructure to support the disability community.
This event will be live captioned via Zoom and live-signed on screen. Closed-captioned-enabled video will be posted following the conclusion of the event, and the video will include the ASL footage.
Featured speaker:
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA)
Distinguished panelists:
Megan Buckles, Senior Policy Analyst, Disability Justice Initiative, Center for American Progress
Allie Cannington, Manager, Advocacy and Organizing, The Kelsey
Jen Deerinwater, Contributor, Truthout; founding Executive Director, Crushing Colonialism
Anna Perng, Co-founder, Chinatown Disability Advocacy Project
Yomi Wrong, ADA Manager, Sutter Health Palo Alto Medical Foundation
Moderator:
Mia Ives-Rublee, Director, Disability Justice Initiative, Center for American Progress