Category: Press Releases

Acknowledging 36 years of Civil Rights for People with Disabilities!

For information contact:

Cathy Cranston       512 650 6543          flacacata@aol.com

Nancy Crowther      512 808 7486          ncrowther21@gmail.com

Who:   ADAPT of Texas/ PACT (Personal Attendant Coalition of Texas)

What:  Press Conference and City Council Proclamation Celebration commemorating the

 36th Anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Where: ADAPT of Texas, 1100 S. IH 35, Austin, TX 78704   

  Food and beverages will be available at ADAPT of TX

When:  Saturday, July 25, 2026 at Noon

o   Press Conference: 12:15 pm

o   Proclamation Presentation: 12:30pm

WHY:  Celebrating the 36th anniversary of the ADA with Austin City Council, District 5, Ryan Alter  

Presenting an ADA Anniversary Proclamation.

Austin, TX- July 26, 2026, marks the 36th anniversary of the legislation that granted people with disabilities in the United States their civil rights, the Americans with Disabilities Act.  On July 26, 1990, then – President George H.W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, transportation, public accommodations, telecommunications, commercial facilities, and state and local government services. The City of Austin has been recognized as one of the leading cities in ADA compliance.

The community will gather at ADAPT of TX on July 25th  to reflect on the past 36 years and how much the ADA has impacted our lives, to recognize where we are now, and to acknowledge all the work still ahead of us to make community living a reality for ALL people with disabilities. We will reaffirm our commitment to work together to ensure that the promise of the ADA is fulfilled and that all people with disabilities reap the benefits of inclusion, integration, and independence.

“Thirty -six years ago, the passage of the ADA promised that disability would never again mean exclusion. Celebrating this anniversary isn’t just about looking back at the progress we’ve made; it’s about measuring how far we still have to go to ensure that every person is included and every community is accessible for all.” — Council Member Ryan Alter

“The fact that the Administration continues to threaten to weaken laws such as Section 504, we recognize that the ADA, helps people with disabilities to live in the most integrated setting in the community is threatened, is very concerning to all. This anniversary is a moment to celebrate how far we have come in being an integral part of Austin’s accessibility, we also know that it is a time to defend what we have and to continue to fight for what we need.”- The Austin ADAPT Community.

-30-

RIGHTS WORTH DEFENDING and RIGHTS WORTH FIGHTING FOR!!!

THE ADA REAFFIRMS THAT WE ARE DISABLED NOT DISPOSABLE!

Attention Disability Advocates

How would you like to wait 36 years or 53 years to get a checkup or x-ray?

Do you think the government should be able to terminate your life if you become “defective” from injury/illness?

What if your hospital insisted on speaking to you in a language other than your spoken one?

General Paxton is promoting these kinds of problems for people with disabilities with his lawsuit Texas v. Kennedy (formerly Texas v. Becerra).

He says the Health and Human Services rules for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are unconstitutional. Medical facilities and social services have been given a 53-year pass on doing what everyone else had to do years ago. Places that get federal financial dollars should provide access and not discriminate.

Make no mistake, this is just the beginning of a campaign to strip people with disabilities of their hard-won rights to equal treatment, being equally valued and having access to society.

Tell Paxton to withdraw from this lawsuit. Don’t let him take us back to the bad old days.

People with Disabilities fought for integration for decades. We won our integration mandate through the 1999 Olmstead Decision, when the U.S. Supreme Court stated that people with disabilities have the right to live in the most integrated setting.

This is why we must demand that General Paxton take Texas off the lawsuit, Texas v. Kennedy.

Please Join Us on Tuesday, May 19th.

If you want to March: Meet to the left of the Price Daniel Sr. State Office Bldg.,

209 W. 14th Street. Just behind the LEAD ON! drop off location

Date and Time: Tuesday, May 19th at Noon

Please bring a sign about 504 and what it means to you

Press Conference: 1PM at 300 W. 15th Street, Austin, TX 78701

Call or write AG Paxton: 800-252-8011 or PO Box 12548 Austin, TX 78711-2548

If you have any questions, you can contact: Cathy Cranston at flacacata@aol.com or

CALL A.G. PAXTON

TELL HIM TO DROP TEXAS FROM

“TEXAS V KENNEDY” LAWSUIT

1.800.252.8011

512.463.2100

512.463.2007

Disabled, Not Disposable Campaign

The Disabled, Not Disposable campaign, led by National ADAPT, is rooted in the ‘power in numbers’ mentality. The disability community is vast, diverse, and strong. When we show up together, our voices cannot be ignored.

We know the urgency of this moment. Many of us in ADAPT feel the need to head to DC and to stand directly in the presence of those making decisions that impact our lives. That visibility matters. But real change requires more than presence, it requires people. This campaign is about collective action, about building a chorus so loud that it demands to be heard.

We are calling on our community and our allies to take part by sharing your voice. Create a short video in whatever way works for you. Say clearly and proudly: “I’m disabled, not disposable.” Share why this matters to you, your family, or your community.

Your video does not need to be perfect. It just needs to be real.

Once you’ve created your video:

  • Share it widely
  • Send it directly to your legislators
  • Tag @nationaladapt to help amplify the message

This movement only grows if we grow it together. It’s all of us that will carry this forward.

Here is our instructional video:

Video with captions and ASL: 

Video with audio description (no captions):

Video in Spanish:

National ADAPT’s Position on Accommodations and the Political Process

ADAPT reaffirms our position against ableism and the negative stereotypes associated with it. We view holding an individual’s disability against them as an act of violence utilized by counterparts, who in their attempt to gain political power, run their campaigns on an ableist agenda. This type of situation sets the precedent that it is okay to view disability in a negative way.  

  • It is wrong to make assumptions about someone’s ability to perform a job based solely on disability.  
  • It is wrong to assume someone is incompetent based on other peoples’ biases towards disability.

Disability is part of life and the Americans with Disabilities Act affirms the use of reasonable accommodations that may be necessary to ensure accessibility to the person with a disability. Job seekers may need accommodations to perform the essential parts of any job. An accommodation is not something that should be looked down upon, rather, it should be viewed as a tool for equity.

John Fetterman, the current PA Lieutenant Governor, ran for reelection for the US Senate. He had a stroke earlier in the year and he is experiencing common symptoms of stroke survivors. As part of the campaign, he was challenged to and agreed to participate in a debate. Mr. Fetterman, who has difficulty with aphasia, struggled at times to get his words out. He used a closed caption television that included the questions and the opponent’s responses on screen. This is an example of a reasonable accommodation. Other potential accommodations could have been changing the format of the debate – for example receiving more time for responses, or not debating, since debating is not a requirement for holding public office. 

Instead, take-aways from some people who watched the debate resulted in questions about Mr. Fetterman’s ability to comprehend the information and his ability to do the job of a Senator.  

A disability does not equal incomprehension or incompetence. It does not make Mr. Fetterman less able to do the job. He stated that he is still making progress with his recovery and he is able to do the job. His doctor agrees. The ability to respond in the debate format is not an indicator of a person’s intelligence or fitness for a job. The negativity towards Mr. Fetterman as a result of the debate performance is ableism, and for every person who has experienced a disability, it’s an all too common problem. 

“My advice to other disabled people would be, concentrate on things your disability doesn’t prevent you doing well, and don’t regret the things it interferes with. Don’t be disabled in spirit as well as physically.”

 -Stephen Hawking

ADAPT is a national grass-roots community that organizes disability rights activists to engage in nonviolent direct action, including civil disobedience, to assure the civil and human rights of people with disabilities to live in freedom.