vimeo.com/.../436888534

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

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