Celebrations and commemorative  functions are being held this month in venues large and small in recognition of  landmark legislation that was enacted two decades ago: the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Although directly related to neither Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) nor Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the provisions of the ADA broke ground for the disabled not only in terms of concrete, physical access to public accommodation but also in more theoretical terms of access to beneficial programs.

For instance, relatively few plaintiffs filing suit under ADA are eligible for monetary damages. However, such suits can effect far-reaching change for the entire disabled community, which also includes many supporters and care-givers.

Certainly all Americans should be familiar with the basic principles of the act–especially owners and operators of publicly accessible facilities (and the contractors who service them)–yet, if you, family members, friends or other loved ones are coping with disability, you really should take extra time to learn about ADA, including the supplemental provisions enacted  in January of 2009.

Although we don’t usually recommend “wiki”-anything as source material, this Wikipedia post serves as a decent introduction.

Briefly, according to this July 20 piece at nj.com (which also includes details of  a July 26 celebration at the New Jersey State House Annex), “the ADA is a wide ranging civil rights act that prohibits the discrimination of persons with any type of disability, including visual and hearing impairments, and developmental or physical disabilities.

“Currently, the act mandates that local government and private enterprises provide people with disabilities fair opportunities for employment, accessibility to public and private buildings, and the ability to participate in programs and activities within the community. The Act also sets minimum standards for adaptive telecommunication devices for the hearing and speech impaired. The last and only amendment to the ADA was in 2008, which now more broadly encompasses impairments that may be episodic or in remission, such as epilepsy or post traumatic stress disorder.”

And to see how wide-ranging are the covered activities, simply click on the link for this government Web site,  created by the Justice Department specifically for the Americans with Disability Act. There you can easily judge how many agencies and programs might be affected–just look at the links to:

• Equal Employment Commission
• Department of Transportation and the ADA
• FCC (telephone relay service)
• Department of Education
• Department of Health and Human Services
• Department of Labor
• Housing and Urban Development
• Department of the Interior
• Department of Agriculture

The nj.com post also mentions that, despite the advances effected by the legislation, “There are still some gaps and some goals from the original act that have not yet been met. The Family Support Center of New Jersey is drawing attention to this anniversary as a time of appreciation for how far we have come as a country and for reflection about what else we can do to assist those with disabilities in order to live fully inclusive lives.”

Hundreds of marchers convened on Capitol Hill earlier this week with the same message, according to a July 21 post at an ABC affiiliate’s site. “Hundreds marched to Capitol Hill Tuesday, marking the strides that have been made in 20 years.

” ‘Bathrooms are different, there’s curb cuts on every street, elevators in a lot of buildings that didn’t have’m before, lots of ramps,’ explained Kelly Buckland from the National Council on Independent Living.

“But, they say, their fight is not yet won.”

Among other concerns, the group cites such issues as employment for those who can work and “debt-ridden states that are cutting community services, [which forces] more disabled into nursing homes.”

The group also has a Web site set to “go live” July 26 at 1:45 p.m., “the exact time President George H. W. Bush signed the legislation.” A youtube preview can be seen here.