ADA celebrates their 25th Anniversary

By: Dezmond Moore

The start of October marked the beginning of Disability History and Awareness Month, declared and recognized by Texas State University. The declaration is fitting as the Americans with Disabilities Act is celebrating their 25^th anniversary.

An assortment of events will be hosted throughout the month of October by the Office of Disability Services to honor the celebration of the Act. Some of the events being held such as “Dinner in the Dark: A look into visual disabilities” and “ODS Open House: We’re open… Come on in” will provide attendees a more detailed look into how disabilities affect people and their everyday lives. The ODS website lists all of the events being held in October.

In numerous ways, the ADA has impacted Texas State. The implementation of elevators, interpreters, ramps, Cats on the Go, and automatic doors are available to students, faculty, and visitors on campus. These resources have positively impacted the campus greatly.

“I use the elevators a lot because the campus is so large and hill-y that it is really tiring,” junior special education major Emily Parma said. “Even though I don’t have a physical disability, it helps me and I feel like they are helpful for people with or without a disability.”

Emily Parma
Photo: Holly Henrichsen

Parma lives with a visual impairment and explains how difficult it would be without the ADA.

“As a person with a disability, I feel like they are very accommodating and I have not experienced any issues,” Parma said. “Before, when there were no laws to benefit these people it would have been very uncomfortable as a person with a disability here because they are legally bound.”

The use of the resources that the ADA provides is not exclusive to people living with disabilities. Some students on campus use the resources as they provide an easier and more convenient way of trekking across campus.

Takia Bunton
Photo: William Thomas

“I use the elevators and ramps around campus,” junior Takia Bunton said. “They are really convenient and it definitely makes my commute faster when I have to rush from class to class.”

Even though the ADA has provided the university with resources to make the campus more accessible some feel that the university could do more to raise awareness for those with disabilities.

“I feel like the university could help in educating non-disabled students about it more because there are so many students who the ADA benefits but a lot of people don’t know anything about those disabilities,” Parma said. “There is disability awareness month, but I feel like there is no education that goes along with it.”

Donevan Gonzales
Photo: Dezmond Moore

According to the UN, the smallest minority group is people living with disabilities with approximately 650 million people living with a disability. On top of providing resources for students with disabilities, the ADA inadvertently promotes diversity amongst college campuses. Freshman, Donevan Gonzales, recognizes the importance of diversity on campus and how the ADA incorporates that.

“The campus would not be as diverse as it is now since not all people would be able to navigate the campus,” said Gonzales. 

For the past 25 years the ADA’s goal has been “to promote equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities.” It is prevalent that the ADA has worked to achieve their goal and provide people living with disabilities an easier, more efficient lifestyle.