Disability Rights Washington Reflects on 35 years with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
July 26, 2025, marked the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) – a landmark piece of legislation that expanded certain civil rights to people with disabilities. The ADA ensured inclusion and access where there had previously been segregation, exclusion, and physical barriers. In King County, Washington, Disability Rights Washington marked the moment with a Disability Pride Celebration hosted by King County’s Executive, Shannon Braddock, and the Office of Equity, Racial, and Social Justice. The event featured information about disability rights movements from the past and present, and highlighted both recent wins and present threats to the disability community. While guests enjoyed a buffet brunch, we listened to speakers discuss what disability pride and the ADA means to them. July 26th is designated as Disability Pride Day in King County to celebrate the continuing contributions of people with disabilities. King County issued a proclamation demonstrating its continued commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. The proclamation further commits to the principles of “Nothing About Us Without Us” – ensuring people with disabilities have a voice in matters that affect us.
Reading King County’s Disability Pride Day Proclamation, ADA Specialist Darya Farivar reminded us how we got here, “the disability rights movement was born out of urgent necessity and was led by activists who took personal risk and demanded change including the 1990 Capitol Crawl.”
Accepting King County’s Proclamation, Eric Mathes discussed the importance of the anti-discrimination aspects of the ADA; “On this day, July 26th 1990, George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act. I was 13 years old…the ADA protects against discrimination [and], for public service, it says people with disabilities must have an equal opportunity to benefit. [The ADA is] a life with support from family and friends, having a great education, being active in the community, and being, myself, an activist.”
It has been difficult to feel celebratory as we moved through Disability Pride month amidst federal attacks on the ADA, the disability community at large, and other marginalized communities targeted by the current administration. King County’s event, as well as the many ADA celebrations across the country, offered a moment to reflect and reconnect with the movement that led to the ADA and the power that community can have when we come together.
“While some people in this moment are scared to move forward, they are wondering if we should be doing equity events. We are not asking permission. It is the right thing to do; and we will continue to do it,” said Office of Equity, Racial, and Social Justice Director Monisha Harrell.
For Erin Musser, a disabled activist, the event was a space for disabled people to “just [be] able to exist.” While our current systems continue to marginalize many in our disability community despite the ADA, the idea of simply being able to exist is becoming increasingly radical. Current Medicaid cuts, immigration enforcement, and executive orders like Trump’s criminalization of homelessness target the disability community directly.
How should we and our allies show up in a world where the federal government is scrubbing words like “disability” “equity” “accessibility” and “race” from its documents and threatening funding from equity-based programming?
Our political climate demands the same level of urgency today as we needed to create the ADA. The rights we celebrated at this event are now under threat. For the disability community, there should be nothing about us without us, but we also need our community to move with us. Will you join us both in celebration and in the continuing fight?
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Rooted in Rights exists to amplify the perspectives of the disability community. Blog posts and storyteller videos that we publish and content we re-share on social media do not necessarily reflect the opinions or values of Rooted in Rights nor indicate an endorsement of a program or service by Rooted in Rights. We respect and aim to reflect the diversity of opinions and experiences of the disability community. Rooted in Rights seeks to highlight discussions, not direct them. Learn more about Rooted In Rights
