TALLAHASSEE, FL—July 26 will mark the 20th Anniversary of the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the United States. In
Florida, the public is invited to join the March for Opportunity in
Tallahassee on Monday, July 26, to show their support for the ADA.
Marchers should gather in the morning about 10 a.m. at Park
Avenue and Monroe Street, with the walk beginning promptly at 10:30
a.m. Marchers will proceed down Monroe Street to the Capitol
Courtyard.
A celebratory ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. in the Capitol
Courtyard with remarks from disability advocates and dignitaries. The
event is free and open to the public.
Some of the organizations sponsoring the march are Outback
Steakhouse, Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Ability 1st, Able
Trust, Division of Blind Services, Commission for the Transportation
Disadvantaged, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Governor's
Commission on Disabilities, Florida Developmental Disabilities
Council, Agency for Workforce Innovation, and the Florida Disabled
Outdoors Association.
On July 26, 1990, President George H. W. Bush signed the ADA
into law. The ADA has made a tremendous impact on American life and
culture. The ADA is an important civil rights act designed to ensure
that people with disabilities enjoy the same freedoms as everyone
else.
Agency for Persons with Disabilities Director Jim DeBeaugrine
said, “It is common now to see people with disabilities in the
workforce, walking around neighborhoods, out shopping, and in our
school system. This is exactly what the ADA was meant to
accomplish—providing the opportunity for all people to fully
participate in their communities. This landmark legislation has made
a tremendous difference in the lives of millions of Floridians,
guaranteeing their rights to seek work, housing, and access to public
buildings and other facilities.”
If you require an accommodation to participate in this event,
contact the Clearinghouse on Disability Information at
1-877-232-4968.