Harkin said the biggest milestone has been changing Americans' attitudes about people with disabilities, treating them with dignity as opposed to pity and condescension.
Frank Harkin lost his hearing at the age of 5, Tom Harkin said, and at that time, the only place where he could get an education was more than two hours away in Council Bluffs at the Iowa School for the Deaf. Tom Harkin said state officials came one day and took his brother away from his family, community and all his friends so he could go to the school.
Since the ADA was signed into law 30 years ago, on July 26, 1990, the country has made significant changes in the way it treats people with disabilities. Probably the most visible area of improvement has been changes to what he calls the “built environment,” which includes curb cuts, ramps, automatic door openers and accessible bathrooms. Additionally, telecommunications are now required to accommodate the deaf and blind with text-to-voice and voice-to-text, he said.
According to the Bureau for Labor Statistics, the labor force participation rate for people with disabilities has hovered around 20% for the last 11 years. That's compared to nearly 70% for people without disabilities. The 2008 ADA Amendments Act overturned the court’s decisions and allowed for a broader definition of the word “disability.” But the damage was already done, Harkin said. Rather than having 30 years to make progress in the realm of equal employment opportunity for people with disabilities, the country has had only 11 years.
"Unfortunately, I am out of work right now because of COVID-19," said Fisher, who lives with his parents in Adel."My mom does not want me to work right now."
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