It was an unusually mild day for the end of July in Washington D.C. An estimated five thousand disability activists, legislators and family members congregated on the South Lawn of the White house.  It was the culmination of years of tireless advocacy, noted protests and bipartisan effort. The signing of the American’s with Disabilities Act by president George H.W. Bush, on July 26, 1990 offered the hope and promise of a more inclusive America. This new and improved America would provide access and economic opportunity for a community too long shutout from employment, transportation and full participation in society.

Twenty years later, as the anniversary approached, meteorological conditions could not, even under the most generous interpretations, be considered mild. Soaring temperatures into the hundreds, ridiculously high humidity and the resulting heat index threatened the actual health of district inhabitants. Only one of the worst thunderstorms in recent memory provided some climatic relief after knocking out power, toppling trees and holding numbers of cross country flights in endless circling patterns. While the day itself was uncomfortably hot as the White House anniversary celebration commenced, the sun dipped below the trees of the South Lawn, a brisk breeze arrived, and the July evening changed, becoming somewhat more welcoming yet still unsettled. For those of us prone to poignant symbolism, the shift in weather seemed to mimic the promise of change for people with disabilities, a change begun but not completed.

Over the last twenty years, the ADA has certainly resulted in noticeable change.  Increased physical access to transportation, structures and walkways, programmatic access to government and education, and subsequent access to technological advancements all result from this legislation. Certainly this is a beginning, but there is still much to settle.

According to the just released National Organization on Disability 2010 Harris poll, people with disabilities still do not fully participate in all aspects of society.  According to the survey authors, employment represents the largest difference between people with disabilities and people without disabilities. Of all working-age people with disabilities, only 21% say that they are employed, compared to 59% of people without disabilities – a gap of 38 percentage points representing a nearly threefold difference.

People with disabilities are more than twice as likely as people without disabilities to report that they have a household income of $15,000 or less (34% versus 15%) – a gap of 19 percentage points. Likewise, people with disabilities are more than half as likely as people without disabilities to say that they live in households that earn more than $50,000 annually (18% versus 38%). The second-largest gap between people with and without disabilities is Internet access. 85% of adults without disabilities access the Internet, whereas only 54% of adults with disabilities report the same – a gap of 31 percentage points. The survey concludes that “now twenty years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), there has yet to be significant progress in most areas.”

One area that has experienced significant progress for people with disabilities was on clear display at the 20th anniversary festivities. Several of the very same people who were on the South Lawn 20 years ago were again in attendance last Monday, but this time they attended as senior level officials and presidential appointees.

At no other time in history have so many people with disabilities ascended to senior leadership administration positions: people who, in the words of a colleague, “get it.” Departments of Labor, Transportation, Education, FEMA and the White House itself all have dedicated advocates working for progress for people with disabilities. Over the next several years, this administration has the opportunity to improve the lives of people with disabilities and fulfill the promise and expectation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Perhaps some of this promise is beginning to be fulfilled. During the week of ADA festivities, President Obama signed an executive order mandating that the Federal Government become a model employer for people with disabilities.  Unlike prior efforts, this order has accountability built in through named representatives held responsible for increasing employment of people with disabilities across agencies and departments.  The public will also be able to follow this progress through the Internet, thanks to this administration's efforts toward transparency. President Obama also took the opportunity to announce new ADA rules which cover “more than 80,000 state and local government entities, and 7 million private businesses.”

In addition, H.R.3101 – The Twenty-first Century Communications and Video accessibility Act of 2009 passed the House of Representatives on Monday July 26th.  The bill which attempts to ensure that individuals with disabilities have access to emerging Internet Protocol-based communication and video programming technologies in the 21st Century now goes to the Senate where it is expected to encounter some opposition.  This piece of legislation promises to help level the internet playing field and increase opportunity for people with disabilities. For more about this bill, visit EQUITY May 2010 (http://www.wid.org/programs/access-to-assets/equity/equity-e-newsletter-may-2010).

On a related note, the Justice Department announced that it will publish four new Americans with Disabilities Act proposals addressing the accessibility of websites, the provision of captioning and video description in movies shown in theaters, accessible equipment and furniture, and the ability of 9-1-1 centers to take text and video calls from individuals with disabilities.  

The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) released their “Making the Move to Managing Your Own Personal Assistance Services (PAS): A Toolkit for Youth Transitioning to Adulthood.”  The announcement explains that accessing and maintaining long-term supports such as PAS has often been a significant barrier to employment for youth and adults with disabilities. This new toolkit assists youth in strengthening some of the most fundamental skills essential for successfully managing their own PAS: effective communication, time-management, working with others, and establishing professional relationships.

In addition, the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) is seeking input from the public on ways to strengthen its regulations requiring federal contractors to take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities. It is encouraging to see so much positive progress moving forward, but there is still more to do.  The economic expectation for people with disabilities simply has to change.

Asset building and its attendant tools and strategies represent an underutilized and under discussed opportunity for people with disabilities to improve their employment and economic lives.  Through asset building principles, people with disabilities can own their own homes, fund retirement accounts, continue economically empowering educations and even start a business. These kinds of outcomes are nearly absent from the current discussion within the disability community. There is an unspoken relationship between asset building and employment.  Earnings from employment are necessary to participate in most asset building programs, but by the same token, asset building outcomes, that home, retirement account and personal autonomy, encourage and motivate people to risk employment.

It is simply time for the disability community to demand economic inclusion. Opportunities to save earnings like other Americans, mandated inclusion of people with disabilities in asset building through funding mechanisms, qualitative on-going financial education, rational work incentive policies made accessible to people with disabilities and employer incentives are all crucial elements in changing outcomes.

The disability community, its leaders, supporters and policy makers have the obligation to work together in bipartisan ways, both across political differences and disability agendas, to achieve these goals.  Let these next 20 years represent even greater change and commitment: a commitment to changing the economic expectations of 54 million Americans with disabilities.