This Week: 25th Anniversary of ADA

President George H. W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law 25 years ago this Sunday. A ceremony in Columbia will commemorate the historic law. Our guest for “This Week is Amber Cheek, the disability inclusion and ADA compliance manager at the University of Missouri. I started our conversation by asking her about the importance of the ADA.

This is the transcript of our conversation:

Joey: Amber, first of all, it’s the 25th anniversary of ADA. Tell me the importance of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Amber: The ADA is really this law that completely changed the face of America for people with disabilities. It had a huge impact across employment, across physical facilities, and almost everywhere we go we see signs of the ADA. And, I think that we tend to forget really quickly what a big change it was.

Joey: I remember, years ago, when I was a kid it seemed more like a courtesy. A business would do this because they wanted to open the door to people with disabilities. And then people would complain when they were forced to do it. But, sometimes, change has to be forced, yes?

Amber: Sometime change has to be forced and the really wonderful and hilarious part of this is that once people added curb cuts and added accessible entrances everyone enjoys them. Everyone loves automatic doors. Everyone loves curb cuts. And whether you’re in a wheelchair, or whether you’re elderly with a walker, or whether you’re a woman with a stroller, everyone loves the automatic doors and the curb cuts. But, what’s funny to me is that they kind of had to be forced first.

Joey: Well, I was reading about a Vietnam vet who talked about going off to war, fighting for his country, getting injured, becoming disabled, coming back, and having doors slammed everywhere, couldn’t get a job because no one would hire him because they didn’t have accommodations. He said he fought for everyone but himself. He said he fought for everyone but himself and that really puts it into perspective a little bit.

Amber: It really does. And I think that a lot of people before the ADA felt that persons with disabilities should be at home, you know? That they should be living at home where they’re safe. Where really it’s all about independence. The ADA isn’t a law about ramps. It’s a law that helps ensure that people are independent and can live their lives in the community instead of being isolated.

Joey: And, with dignity.

Amber: And, with dignity.

Joey: Now, what about the smaller businesses who say, “Well if we want to redo our restaurant, in a small Mom and Pop restaurant, that we have to spend all this money on a bathroom that we don’t even have space for”? What do you say to those businesses?

Amber: Well, I say that as our population ages, you’re going to have a significantly larger percentage of your customers that need things like that. So, it makes business sense to do it now instead of later.

Joey: Wow. So-

Amber: That’s exactly what I say!

Joey: It’s more than courtesy and more than being in compliance. It’s an investment in one’s future is how you see it.

Amber: Yes.

Joey: Okay. This Sunday they’re having a big celebration of the 25th anniversary at Orr Street Studios. Tell us what’s involved there.

Amber: Well, um, things are going to get rolling around 10:30, and at about 11:00 there’s going to be a proclamation that’s going to be signed by the City of Columbia, and after that I’m going to be speaking. I’m going to be giving two very short speeches. One is going to be about disability history. I call it “The Secret History of Disability in America” because so few people really understand, you know, what history has been like for people with disabilities. And the second part will be about The Disability Rights Movement and specifically the years leading up to the ADA. There will also be cupcakes and lots of booths set up by members of the community that work to support people with disabilities. So, Services for Independent Living, ACT, Woodhaven, they’ll all be there.

Joey: And full disclosure, I’m on the board at Woodhaven and I’ll be emceeing the festivities. So I look forward to see you there. Amber Cheek, thank you very much for joining us.

Amber: Thank you.