DES MOINES, Iowa – It’s a major milestone as the landmark civil rights law that ensures equal opportunity for people with disabilities celebrates its 25th anniversary this weekend.  The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was spearheaded by former U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa and signed by former President George H.W. Bush on July 26 of 1990.

Becky Harker, executive director of the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council, says one of the biggest changes in the years since has been the accessibility of public buildings. “Restaurants and grocery stores, courthouses, post offices,” she points out. “And they’re also more accessible to our elders, to people with strollers, to people with other mobility issues. So it’s been good for everyone.”

A number of events to celebrate the ADA anniversary are planned across Iowa in the days ahead including in Cedar Rapids, Des Moines and Iowa City. While there has been much progress, Harker says there is plenty more to do over the next 25 years and that includes improving job opportunities for those with disabilities.

“We’d like to see more people employed in the community and not segregated,” she stresses. “And it’s going to take a lot of advocacy, a lot of action on the part of people who feel strongly about that.” Statewide, it’s estimated that nearly 17 percent of adults or around 376,000 people have some type of a disability.