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Premier disability rights legislation shares anniversary month with nation’s founding document

July, the birth month of America’s Declaration of Independence, is also the anniversary of a different kind of freedom for people who have physical or mental impairments.

On July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law, guaranteeing equal access to employment, transportation, education, facilities, programs and services for those who cannot see, hear or walk, or who have other limitations. The date is just as important to persons with disabilities as July 4.

Fulton County is Georgia’s leader in efforts to comply with this landmark civil rights legislation. On July 21, 2004, the County’s leading disability advocates will receive a proclamation during the Board of Commissioners 10 a.m. meeting in the Government Assembly Hall, commemorating Fulton’s pioneering accomplishments, such as:

• The Commission on Disability Affairs (CODA), a diverse citizen’s group established in 1992 to advise the County on disability issues and needs;

• The Office of Disability Affairs (ODA), the first and still the only permanent agency of its kind in the state, providing technical assistance, effective communications (sign language interpreters and alternate formats), education, reasonable accommodations, and training for the County and public since 1992;

• More than $3.5 million in renovations to remove physical barriers and improve accessibility in County buildings and facilities;

• A featured stop in the nationwide “Spirit of ADA” Torch Relay during the ADA’s 10th anniversary in 2000, when three residents with disabilities took turns carrying the torch through the Fulton County Government Center Atrium’s upper and lower levels;

• Sponsorship of drives for adaptive aids, such as wheelchairs and eyeglasses; and

• A telephone hotline, the Disability Information and Assistance Line (DIAL), which coordinates the connection of persons with disabilities to the resources they need.

For more about Fulton’s ADA efforts, call DIAL at 404-730-6900 or the ODA at 404-730-7390 (TTY: 404-730-4137).