UW to celebrate 10th anniversary of ADA

UW–Madison has long been a leader in providing access to disabled students, employees and visitors.

Related stories: Schedule of events UW-Madison accessibility accomplishments and resources

The university will highlight its accomplishments and sponsor several activities next month as part of the Spirit of ADA Torch Relay: Celebrating the Americans with Disabilities Act 10th Anniversary.

The torch relay is passing through 24 select cities, including Madison on Friday, July 7. A number of events are planned July 3-8 to celebrate the enactment of the landmark legislation in 1990. The activities will also commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

“The university has always been a leader in serving disabled students and providing employment for people with disabilities,” says Marcia Carlson, a Madison Spirit of ADA Torch Relay coordinator and UW–Madison facilities accessibility and planning specialist. “Many university accomplishments on accessibility are regarded as best practices at the national level.”

The university’s commitment to the ADA is an outgrowth of its long-standing efforts to comply with the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a forerunner to the ADA, and Wisconsin accessibility standards, which were added to the state’s building code in 1964.

We Magazine, a bimonthly publication for the disabled, last summer named UW–Madison the best university campus in the nation for students with disabilities.

The centerpiece of university activities in support of the Spirit of ADA Torch Relay will be an open house at the Kohl Center Friday, July 7. The open house will feature accessibility tours, a presentation on web accessibility, a display on adaptive computer equipment, exhibits by organizations that offer recreation activities and information for disabled people, a job fair, and a return-to-work forum for people with disabilities.

UW–Madison will also sponsor an open house July 3, 5 and 6 at the Gymnasium/Natatorium to highlight adaptive sports and fitness opportunities available on campus. In addition, the Hoofers Sailing Club will sponsor a free sailing day Saturday, July 8, for people with disabilities.

Local hosts for the Spirit of ADA Torch Relay are the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce and ADA Wisconsin Partnership, the federally funded steering committee that coordinates statewide ADA activities.

The torch relay is sponsored nationally by the American Association of People with Disabilities. AAPD is a non-profit membership organization of people with disabilities, their family members and supporters working to promote the political and economic empowerment of all 54 million children and adults with disabilities living in the United States.

Volkswagen of America, Inc. is the national title sponsor for the torch relay. Other national sponsors include AccessLife.com, Continental Airlines, Microsoft, President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, Presidential Task Force on Employment of Adults with Disabilities, and Shepherd Center.