Why the Americans with Disabilities Act is so Important to Me, as a Child of Deaf Adults

by Dalia Dichter

Take your right hand and hold it close to your ear. Then, open and close your fingertips and thumb a couple of times. That gesture is my “sign name,” or how you refer to me in American Sign Language. My parents were both born deaf, and they wanted to make sure that I was part of the Deaf community from a young age. They taught me American Sign Language before they taught me to speak and they gave me my own sign name.

As a Child of Deaf Adults (CODA), I understand the world through a different lens, but this story is not about me. It’s about my parents and the way that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) changed their lives and the lives of millions of people in this country.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a landmark piece of legislation that declared equal rights for people with disabilities. Signed into law by President George H.W. Bush in 1990, the law passed with enormous bipartisan support. The law gave my parents and others like them access to parts of daily life that people without disabilities take for granted. Before the ADA, deaf people did not have access to interpreters to assist them with doctor appointments, grocery store clerks, or other important everyday interactions. Deaf people are now able to experience life in ways they hadn’t before, whether through expanded captioning programs or theaters hiring interpreters.

The ADA ensured that Deaf people could communicate in almost any situation by investing resources in interpreter certification and services. Prior to 1990, telephone companies were not required to provide services to Deaf people, but the ADA required the Federal Communications Commission to create service regulations for Deaf accessibility. Now, there are robust video relay service programs available for Deaf people that allow them to easily communicate with hearing people via phone. For the first time, Deaf people were able to fully engage with other people, both hearing and deaf, near or far, casually or in emergencies. This was a pivotal moment for Deaf people, and it is just one way that the ADA changed the lives for people with disabilities.

The ADA also expanded opportunities and protections for Deaf people in the workplace by requiring reasonable accommodations and prohibiting discrimination. For example, my dad, who has been a math teacher since he was 23 years old, had been limited to teaching in schools for the Deaf. After the implementation of the ADA, he was able to teach math to hearing children with the assistance of an in-class interpreter. Investment in interpreters and other resources allowed more Deaf people to enter the workforce and gave them greater mobility than ever before.

The impact that the Americans with Disabilities Act had on the lives of people with disabilities is immeasurable, but there is so much more to these communities than just what they can and cannot do. The Deaf community has had a vibrant culture for decades. They have frequent conventions, and every four years, Deaf people from all over the world come together to compete in the Deaflympics. My dad even competed in the Deaflympics three times, playing volleyball in 1977, 1981 and 1985. Additionally, Deaf pride is so strong that unlike many other communities that rely on “people-first language,” which means the disability comes after words like people or community, the Deaf community prefers to place the word “Deaf” in front as a demonstration of pride and culture.

As Disability Pride Month comes to a close, I encourage you to learn more about the rich culture that people with disabilities have created. Disability Pride Month is about celebrating what makes people with disabilities unique and promoting awareness for their communities. However, it is also a time to challenge negative stereotypes about people with disabilities, break down remaining barriers, and expand your understanding of the world.

Above all else, I encourage you to vote in November. Although the ADA went into effect 30 years ago, people with disabilities still face high rates of voter suppression, whether it’s because of inaccessible voting sites or outdated voting accessible machines. Due to the history of impediments to voting, Deaf people and others with disabilities often lack representation in places of power. Disability rights are human rights. Vote to make sure that everyone, everywhere can have access to the same opportunities and resources, and vote to make sure that all voices are respected equally.

Ways to get involved:

• Research legislation on disability rights such as the Disability Integration Act of 2019
• Call your representatives and tell them to support disability rights
• Register to vote using Rock the Vote’s registration tools