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I'm Art Blaser from Orange, California

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South of Los Angeles.

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And the first question had to do with

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my background

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and how I became aware of the ADA.

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Like with a lot of people,

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I became much more aware of

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the ADA when I became disabled,

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in 1993

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as the result of a brain stem stroke.

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Major issues for me

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included access to my home

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and access to my job.

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One seemingly trivial

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matter that was a major concern

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was curb cuts in my neighborhood.

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In theory, under the ADA,

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they were supposed to be there,

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but were not until 1997.

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The spirit of the ADA, of equal access,

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was something broader than the practices

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but very important in bringing about the

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that meant so much to me. Access to

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buildings and being able to continue

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teaching with the aid of computerized

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assistive technology were very important

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in my continuing to work at Chapman

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University, where I've worked since 1981.

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This wouldn't have been possible decades

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ago. Colleagues also became more aware of

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inequities and realized: “this isn’t

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supposed to happen." I've been

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privileged to coordinate Chapman's

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Disability Studies minor, and to become

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familiar with the so called “ADA

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generation” of students who grew up with

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the ADA. As with California law, realizing

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the spirit is more likely when people act.

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The spirit of the ADA helps in making the

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world a better place, usually. A challenge

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we'll face in the future that is

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developing now will be ensuring that the

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catastrophic effects of COVID-19 do not

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recur. The high death rate

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in nursing homes needs to be of

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concern to everyone, and we need to do

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better at providing opportunities to live

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in the community rather than in congregate

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The Olmstead case was very important in

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establishing the right to live in the

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community under the ADA, and independent

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living centers are playing important

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roles in people moving from nursing homes

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to the community. In Orange County, I've

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been privileged to serve as a board

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member of the County's Independent

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Living Center, the Dayle McIntosh Center.

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This needs to be a priority, not only in

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the US but also everywhere that is

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experiencing high death rates in nursing

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homes. Another factor is the large number

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now particularly younger people who are

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testing positive for COVID-19 but

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recovering at a higher risk for stroke and

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multiple sclerosis. Members of the

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disability community are well-versed in

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demonstrating that a high quality of life

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is possible, and society and government

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need to provide support that makes this

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possible.

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The most important steps involve education

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broadly conceived. Beginning in child care

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people are aware of human differences and

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education continues throughout

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the lifespan not only to schools but also

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through religious organizations and

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entertainment media. Increasing

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visibility of disabled people, expressed

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through different organizations, is

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invaluable. Colleges and universities play

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an important role, especially when they

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value input from disability organizations

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and learned experiences of disabled people

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Projects such as the Disability Visibility

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Project help in publicizing disabled

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voices and colleges and universities

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can help by calling attention to those

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voices rather than trying to offer

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expertise in how others should live.

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