The National Health Law Program’s senior attorney, M. Geron Gadd, released the following statement in commemoration of the 33rd anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act:
Since 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act has been an indispensable tool in the fight to expand and enforce civil rights for people with disabilities. As an organization dedicated to protecting and increasing access to health care, the National Health Law Program litigates to enforce rights created by the ADA that center the needs and dignity of people with disabilities and ensure access to the health care they need, free from discrimination. The ADA is the cornerstone of the disability rights movement, but we must continue our advocacy to preserve and enforce those hard-earned gains.
The passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act was a triumph of disability organizing and activism, and we continue to celebrate that victory every year in July. But it was never the end of advocacy. With deeply-rooted partnerships in the disability space, our litigators are fighting to ensure that children with mental health diagnoses are not unnecessarily institutionalized and have the services and support they need to thrive in the community and family settings. As litigators, we currently represent children in Louisiana, Colorado, Michigan, New York, and Iowa in cases that could impact hundreds of thousands of children. Through our collaborations with co-counsel and people with disabilities in courts throughout the country, we consistently recommit ourselves to making the promises of the ADA a reality.
