Celebrating the ADA at 30 – Exploring Research on Accessibility, Equity, and Inclusion

On July 26^th, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush. Thirty years later, an entire generation has grown up, gone to school, and joined the workforce in a world that is more inclusive and accessible than ever. As far as we’ve come, we still have more to do to ensure that people with disabilities can live, learn, and work as fully integrated members of their communities. Throughout July, we will be exploring some of the crucial work of the NIDILRR grantee community and other entities in employment, architecture, technology, transportation, and service delivery, and we will look ahead to new research and development for a more open, accessible, and inclusive world.

Today, we feature recent articles from our Research In Focus series, which highlight interesting findings in inclusive employment, access to facilities and transportation, housing, and government services:

• Business Leaders Share Their Strategies to Promote Inclusion of People with Disabilities (Employment)
• Disclosing a Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis at Work May Have Pros and Cons (Employment)
• For People Who are Blind or Visually Impaired, Managing Transportation May be Key for Employment Success (Transportation)
• Law Enforcement Personnel Comment on Ways to Better Serve People with Disabilities (State and local government)
• Many Fitness Facilities May Not Be Fully Accessible to People with Disabilities (Public accommodations)
• Nowhere to Park Your Accessible Van: Augmented Signage May Increase Access to Van-Accessible Parking Spaces (Public accommodations)
• One-Size May Not Fit All: Wheelchair and Scooter Users Compare the Usability of Different Public Bus Layouts (Transportation)
• Parents with Serious Mental Illnesses May Face More Scrutiny from Child Protective Services (State and local government)     
• Passengers Who Use Wheelchairs or Scooters May Not Always Be Properly Secured While Using Paratransit Services (Transportation)
• People with Disabilities Face Barriers to Employment, But Accommodations May Help (Employment)
• People with Disabilities Face Barriers to Employment, But Accommodations May Help (Employment)
• Survey Shows the Majority of People with Mobility Disabilities May Not Be Living in Accessible Homes (Public accommodations)
• Working Women with Disabilities Share Strategies for Countering Stereotypes in the Workplace (Employment)

Would you like to take a deeper dive into research on the Americans with Disabilities Act? Try these REHABDATA searches:

• Recent publications from NIDILRR-funded research and development projects (2015-2020)
• ADA and employment
• ADA and transportation
• ADA and government
• ADA and facilities (structures, buildings, parks, etc.)
• ADA and fitness/recreation facilities
• ADA and the Internet

These are just a few examples of ways you can explore research literature indexed in the REHABDATA database. Learn more about advanced searching on your own or get in touch with our information specialists for assistance!