ADA Celebrations

Each year ADA-Indiana hosts Indiana's Anniversary of the the Americans with Disabilities Act on, or around, July 26th.

2010 - The 20th Anniversary of the ADA

ADA-Indiana hosted a public Celebration of the 20th Anniversary at the Indianapolis ArtsGarden on July 26th.

Other 20th Anniverary activities included the 2010 ADA Report Card for Indiana, ADA Stories from Indiana, ADA Summit, and participation in the national 2010 by 2010 campaign (coordinated by the ADA National Network).

2009 - The 19th Anniversary of the ADA

For the 19th Anniversary, ADA-Indiana hosted a training for hotel and other lodging personnel. Our featured speaker/trainer for the day was Marian Vessels, the Project Director of the Hospitality Initiative of the ADA National Network and a national expert in the area of Hospitality.

2008 - The 18th Anniversary of the ADA

In 2008, the elections were upon us! As one of the champions of the ADA, Justin Dart, said, “Vote as if your life depends on it - because it does!” In recognition of the 18th Anniversary of the ADA, ADA-Indiana did a statewide video conference with locations in four communities. Julia Bauler from the Secretary of State’s office and Jeffrey Chait from the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community were the featured speakers.

2007 - The 17th Anniversary of the ADA

Back in 2007, ADA-Indiana asked communities to celebrate the 17th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act by spending July 26th as THE DAY FOR THE ADA! The campaign called for local action to further implementation at a community level.

2006 - The 16th Anniversary of the ADA

ADA-Indiana celebrated the 16th Anniversary of the ADA by hosting an invitational conference, "The ADA at Work: Making Indiana Communities Accessible" for advocacy groups in Indiana. More than forty representatives from Indiana's Centers for Independent Living, Self Advocates, and others attended the event.

During the Celebration event, ADA-Indiana introduced their new ADA Report Card. Lyn Sowdon, from the U.S. Department of Justice, provided an overview of Project Civic Access and provided participants with some ideas on how to use what the DOJ has learned in their own communities. In the afternoon, participants heard from members of local Disability Councils (rural, mid-size city, and metropolitan) about their work, and from organizations doing local community projects related to the ADA.

2005 - The 15th Anniversary of the ADA

ADA-Indiana hosted the 15th Anniversary Celebration at the Indianapolis Artsgarden. Other co-sponsors include ADA-Indiana, The Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities, and Indiana Protection and Advocacy Services. The event featured musical acts and guest speakers.

2004 - The 14th Anniversary of the ADA

ADA-Indiana commemorated the 14th Anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act by hosting an awards ceremony on Saturday, July 24th at the Indianapolis Zoo for the fourteen young Hoosiers who were winners in ADA-Indiana's Statewide Calendar Art Contest. Many of the winners, their families, and ADA-Indiana members were on hand for the event.

2003 - The 13th Anniversary of the ADA

ADA-Indiana commemorated the 13th Anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act by hosting a workshop on Accessible Electronic and Information Technology at the Indiana Government Center. The event was co-sponsored by Indiana State Personnel and the Indiana AccessIT project.

2002 - The 12th Anniversary of the ADA

ADA-Indiana commemorated the 12th Anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act by hosting a workshop for civic and community leaders in Indianapolis on July 26th, 2002. The workshop focused on how the ADA has opened up opportunities for people with disabilities to more fully participate in their communities.

The program includes a panel highlighting the efforts of four communities to involve people with disabilities in planning and implementing for community accessibility: Bloomington and the Council for Community Accessibility's work, Terre Haute and the Will Center's community collaborations, Johnson County's Independence Park project, and Betty Williams speaking about the self-advocacy work and Project Vote.

The luncheon speaker was Jodie Woods, the General Counsel of the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns. She was the City Attorney of the City of Greenwood, Indiana from 1985 to 1998. She gave some insights into how local governments responded to the ADA when it first came out and the steps needed today to realize the spirit of the law.

2001 - The 11th Anniversary of the ADA

ADA-Indiana commemorated the 11th Anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act by hosting a Business Leaders Forum in Indianapolis.

2000 - The 10th Anniversary of the ADA

ADA-Indiana hosted the 10th Anniversary Celebration at the Indianapolis Artsgarden. Other co-sponsors include ADA-Indiana, The Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities, and Indiana Protection and Advocacy Services. The event featured musical acts and guest speakers.