White Plains, County Commemorate ADA, Pledge to Protect the Disabled
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White Plains and Westchester County celebrated the 32nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) last Saturday, but officials and advocates for the disabled urged the crowd to continue the fight for equity and opportunity.
In a program organized by Westchester Disabled on the Move, Inc. (WDOMI) and Assemblyman Chris Burdick (D-Bedford) at the Ebersole Ice Rink at Delfino Park, speakers said the hard-fought gains established more than three decades ago can easily be eroded or disappear without exercising vigilance.
Maria Samuels, executive director of WDOMI, said when the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed by Congress and signed into law, it covered numerous vulnerable populations, but omitted the disabled. Even with the ADA, securing rights for those with challenges can still present hurdles.
“It took them about 30 years to recognize people with disabilities. Yet we are often an afterthought,” Samuels said.
Burdick, who chairs the Assembly Subcommittee for Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities, said when President George H.W. Bush signed the ADA into law on July 26, 1990, he called it the single greatest achievement of his administration.
While the ADA was “truly a game-changer,” there are improvements that can be made to ensure that those rights are protected and expanded, he said.
“The ADA itself, as many of you know, was truly a monumental act for people with disabilities,” Burdick said. “But as we also know, it certainly wasn’t a cure-all and we have so much more we have to do.”
Geri Mariano, an Armonk resident who was born with Diastrophic Dysplasia, a form of dwarfism, related some of her life’s story during the program. She had to fight for the right to be part of her graduation ceremonies at Smith College, where she earned her undergraduate degree in 1989.
Mariano later received her masters in therapeutic recreation from Lehman College. She has spent more than 20 years serving as a motivational speaker and visiting area schools talking to students.
She has become one of the strongest advocates for the disabled and has fought for improvements locally and in wider circles through her perseverance. Mariano currently serves on advisory councils for People With Disabilities at the county level and with Burdick.
“I didn’t want special favors. I always wanted to prove myself,” Mariano said. “The ADA was enacted so I and countless others would have opportunities to give back.”
However, the legislation hasn’t always been as effective as hoped for. She tried to work in Washington, D.C. in the political world right after the ADA went into effect, and was repeatedly rebuffed.
“I believe people with disabilities are the lowest rung on the totem pole of special interests,” Mariano said. “We’re not as headline grabbing or sexy enough for news coverage.”
Another speaker, author and activist Annie Chiappetta, said policymakers and the public need to help the sight-impaired to help them bridge the digital divide. While progress has been made since the ADA was adopted, Chiappetta, who is legally blind, said the rapidly-changing technology leaves her and others without vision behind.
Mayor Tom Roach said he is proud that White Plains is among the most accommodating communities for people with disabilities. He has been told that there are residents with various challenges who have moved to White Plains because it is an accessible community.
“This city is committed to not just complying with the law but the spirit of it,” Roach said.
Several elected officials left the audience with the sobering thought that if Roe v. Wade could be overturned after nearly 50 years, it will take persistence to make sure that the ADA will never meet that same fate.
“We cannot emphasize to you enough how important it is to remember where we came from,” said state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers). “That’s what days like this do, they shine a light, they remind us, they tell us that the work’s not done, that what happened in the Supreme Court recently, you can’t take anything for granted.”
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
