What’s not to love about July, with 31 traditional and unconventional special days to celebrate? Besides the customary events that we look forward to every year (summertime, vacation time, out of school time, Independence Day), July allows us to observe other notable days as well. These days include National Chocolate Day (my personal favorite), National Eat Beans Day, National French Fries Day, five different alcoholic beverage days, and 22 other memorable days of note. There’s something for everyone every day of the month!
On top of these wonderful reasons to indulge in parties, July is also the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act! 2021 marks the 31st year since the ADA was enacted. There are many ways to celebrate this special day. Some fun ideas include sponsoring a Social Media Show and Tell; publicizing the Timeline of the ADA; encouraging employees to take free online training on the ADA. There are also videos, podcasts, and blogs available. For more ideas, check out this website: #ADA31 - Celebrate. Learn. Share. | ADA Anniversary Tool Kit.
And if that isn’t enough, there’s even one more important event in July to be proud of – the ADA National Network has its 30-year anniversary! Yes, that’s a different celebration from the celebration of the official passing of the ADA. After the ADA became law in 1990, 10 centers around the country were established to provide education and training on this comprehensive new civil rights law. The National Network began in 1991, a year after the law’s passage, and the Rocky Mountain ADA Center is proud to have served Region 8 as one of those 10 original centers. I’ve had the honor of being with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center since 1992. There have been so many changes in our country related to the ADA since those early years. And while not fully implemented yet, the progress made to disability rights directly because of the ADA is immeasurable.
In celebration of this anniversary, the 10 Centers are participating in an ADAjeopardy competition. Yes, we’ll be responding to ADA answers with ADA questions! Staff from each Center along with affiliates from each region will be the contestants competing to provide ADA information. We would love for you to join us, and you can register for this July 7 event here: ADA Jeopardy: Learn, Connect and Celebrate 30 Years of the ADA National Network (accessibilityonline.org). You can even submit your own questions (answers?) you would like for the team to respond to! If you can’t make it that day, it will be archived for later.
And we invite you to learn more about the National Network and the many resources that are available on our national website.
So, as the ADA has opened up so many doors (literally and figuratively), it’s time to get your party on and celebrate the continued celebration of accessible life in America!
