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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
CONTACT: Melanie Mowry Etters |
Activities to Recognize 25th Anniversary of ADA
TALLAHASSEE, FL—The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law 25 years ago, and the Tallahassee community will celebrate this landmark legislation this Friday, July 24. There will be several activities occurring in downtown Tallahassee throughout the morning. The event is free and open to the public. Marchers will gather in the morning at 9 a.m. at Park Avenue and Adams Street, with the walk beginning promptly at 9:30 a.m. Marchers will proceed down Adams Street to Tallahassee City Hall, located at 300 South Adams Street.
Participants will go to the second floor of City Hall for refreshments and to view informational displays. At 10 a.m., a celebratory program will be held in the City Commission Chambers. The keynote speaker will be John Kemp who is a nationally known disability advocate. State and local dignitaries will also speak.
Following the program at 11 a.m., participants will walk to the Capitol Courtyard for music and fun activities. Marchers will be treated to a free lunch provided by Outback Steakhouse. There will be face painters, balloon artists, and musical groups performing.
Agency for Persons with Disabilities Director Barbara Palmer said, “I am excited about celebrating 25 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act. So many wonderful changes have occurred because of the ADA to help individuals with disabilities to be a part of the fabric of America. This is a fantastic opportunity to gather and share the many positives things that have happened in our society for people with disabilities.”
Some of the organizations sponsoring the event are the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Ability 1st, Able Trust, Blind Services, Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged, Vocational Rehabilitation, Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, Florida Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, Family Network on Disabilities, Florida Association of Centers for Independent Living, Florida Disabled Outdoors Association, City of Tallahassee, and many others. For more information on the activities planned for July 24 including parking and shuttle details, visit apdcares.org/news/adaevents.htm.
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.
APD supports people with developmental disabilities to live, learn, and work in their communities. The agency annually serves more than 50,000 Floridians with autism, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, intellectual disabilities, Down syndrome, and Prader-Willi syndrome. For more information about the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, visit APDcares.org or call toll-free 1-866-APD-CARES (1-866-273-2273).