Throughout this week, NCLD and Members of Congress celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA was passed in 1990 and is a bedrock civil rights law that protects and ensures the civil rights of people with disabilities. 

Since that time, we have made incredible strides to improve the lives of the 1 in 5 people with learning disabilities and attention issues. But there is still more work to be done, and more leadership needed from Congress. In 2015, NCLD worked with champions in Congress to introduce the Respond, Innovate, Succeed & Empower (RISE) Act to ensure that students with disabilities could receive accommodations in college without the need for costly and duplicative assessments to prove they have a disability. 

Today, we imagine what the future of the ADA and other disability rights laws could be. We hear from three Members of Congress who are co-sponsors of the RISE Act as they reflect on the past success of the ADA and help us imagine a future in which the RISE Act improves the conditions for people with learning disabilities.

Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH)

Senator Bob Casey (D-PA)

Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR 1st District)

To learn more about the ADA, follow along with NCLD’s ADA Week of Action.