I'm Art Blaser in Orange, California
South of Los Angeles.
And the first question had to do with
my background and how I became aware
of the ADA, a disability association
In my case, although I had some knowledge before,
not a lot less than most people,
til I became disabled,
Which was in 1983, I had a brain stem stroke
and became disabled and a full time
wheelchair user today.
and I would say that
the issues of disability
I confronted
a big one was access to my home
and a simple one was access to my job.
That although curb cuts were in theory
supposed to be in place
by 1995, in practice, they weren't.
They are today, which I think is
emblematic of the impact of the ADA.
As of now we've got things
to the time but,
the spirit of the ADA
was the confrontation of
people being public about their needs
and eventually, Orange, where I lived,
had curb cuts at the corners, which meant
it was possible for me to live
about five blocks from campus.
I had improvements and accommodations
which included a computerized voice
that makes it possible to teach.
The kinds of things that
wouldn't have existed decades ago.
Fortunately, in California as a professor
I was able to take advantage of
good state laws.
But I think they're being forced by
the spirit of the ADA.
We see the ADA affect for good point of the spirit
and some things that don't work
just about every day that they
try to get access to different buildings.
and quite often the experiences
of other people say
this shouldn't be happening,
but in fact it is.
But the big difference is
is that were people motivated,
eventually things change and adapt.
I've noticed it most
in education.
that I teach
at Chapman University, since 1981,
so before the ADA.
When I was not disabled I taught it there
I noticed a lot of the affects through
teaching disabilities, at least.
and I've had students
who actually grew up knowing
that the ADA existed
and they're the so-called "ADA generation"
Which makes a big difference
People are claiming disability and trying
to make the world a better place.
And, in many cases, they're successful
and in some cases, not.
But there are reasons for it
and I think there's a desire
to understand the reasons.
I think they want us to
where and how people live
and the contrast between nursing homes
and lacks of the community
and we're experiencing through Covid-19 the current crisis
a lot of death in nursing homes worldwide.
and we also
I think one of the
unfortunate things we are seeing
is the lack of forward movement
toward nursing home reforms
or estates meant
we can't continue to live in congregate settings
and a number of people are
the independent living centers
and independent living movement
some things that I feel privileged
in a lot of ways to be involved in
with a center for independent living
for Orange county and LA
and a major issue has been
transition from nursing homes
and that will continue to be a major
issue including interpretations of cores.
which I think it's very important that