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Hi, my name is Matthew Wangeman.
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I teach Disability Studies
at Northern Arizona University.
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I have been a disability advocate
for over 30 years.
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I went to the University of California
at Berkeley
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so I have been very lucky in my life.
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My first memory of the ADA was
three years after it was passed
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because I was in Berkeley
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and Berkeley had stronger laws
than the ADA
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so I really did not know or care
about the ADA at that time.
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And the interesting thing is
in Berkeley and in California
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people with disabilities were talking
about how the ADA was less strong
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for people with disabilities
in California and Berkeley.
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So when I first learned about the ADA
I was living in an area that had
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stronger rules and regulations for people
with disabilities than the ADA had put in.
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So I did not care that much
about it at the time.
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(Laughter)
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I think the ADA has helped with
accessibility
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all around the United States.
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That is to me probably one of
the most important things
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that the ADA has accomplished.
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I really think the ADA is
a great civil rights law
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and it has put disability
on the map in this country.
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But for people with
significant disabilities
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the ADA has not done that much
in the grand scheme.
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Like employment is a great example.
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We are still at the same rate of
employment as before the ADA.
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I think given where this country is today
the ADA could not be stronger.
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In fact, given today the ADA
would not pass, and that is sad.
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I really think our education system needs
to be changed
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and even though the ADA really
does not cover education it should.
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In order to have people with disabilities
included in this society
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they need to have a quality education
and special education is not cutting it.
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So if I had my way,
I would throw out special education
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and have one education system
for everyone.
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It is stupid to have two
and to me it should be illegal
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to have a separate education system.
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I would have the ADA
cover education as well.
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Just to really believe that people
with disabilities have the same rights
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as everyone else and I'd like to say
we can have all the laws in the world
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but if people's attitudes do not change,
we are just spinning our wheels.
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And I use a wheelchair.
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And if my wheelchair just spins its wheels
I don't seem to go anywhere.
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(Laughter)