As the nation ramps up to the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA30) on July 26, 2020, the 50-member ADA Lead On “Core Production Team” (in front of and behind the camera/keyboard) and 22 ADA Generation bloggers, influencers and signal boosters are focused and determined to set the record straight, flip ... Read more
Senator Tom Harkin

Justin Dart Remembered — Humanitarian, Leader and Friend
Editor’s note: In recognition of a great humanitarian, leader and friend, we present “The Resurrection of Justin Dart Jr. : A Quest for Truth and Love,” which was written by Mari Carlin Dart and originally appeared in the Diahann Carroll issue of ABILITY Magazine. Also included are additional comments from Dr. Fred Fay and ... Read more
Senator Duckworth Receives Paralyzed Veterans of America’s Gordon H. Mansfield Congressional Leadership Award
Paralyzed Veterans of America recently announced it will honor Democratic U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois with the 2019 Gordon H. Mansfield Congressional Leadership Award during the organization’s Annual PVA Gala. From critical efforts on the Americans with Disabilities Act, to improving the air travel experience for passengers with disabilities, Senator Duckworth has been ... Read more
Harkin Summit – Boost Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities
For decades, former Senator Tom Harkin has actively championed the rights of people with disabilities. First serving in the US House of Representatives and later in the Senate from 1985 to 2015, the Iowa native helped craft and introduce the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1988. Although ostensibly retired, he remains active in ... Read more
Possibilities of ADA — Harkin
Dear ABILITY readers, Thanks to the progress we’ve made since passing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) more than 20 years ago, millions of people have grown up proud of who they are, confident that the doors of opportunity are open to them. This landmark legislation was a major victory for equality, and helped ... Read more
Harkin — The Benefits of Health Care
THE HEALTH REFORM LAW: MAJOR PROGRESS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES Dear ABILITY Readers, The new health reform law, signed by President Obama last month, includes provisions that offer important new protections and choices for individuals with disabilities. These provisions—for which I fought very hard— include, for example, prohibitions on denying insurance coverage based on ... Read more
Sen. Harkin — The Affortable Care Act
Circa 2012 Dear ABILITY readers, The Affordable Care Act includes a number of provisions intended to benefit individuals with disabilities. One of the most important of these is the Community First Choice Option, which represents a significant step toward removing institutional bias in the Medicaid program. Recently, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services ... Read more
Keeping all Students Safe
Protecting Students in the Classroom Dear ABILITY Readers, Last month, I introduced the Keeping All Students Safe Act, a bill to protect students from dangerous seclusion and restraint practices in schools. All too often, we hear heartbreaking stories about children being injured or even killed because of risky and inappropriate “disciplinary” tactics used at ... Read more