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    Disability advocates and political leaders celebrated the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and its progress, while also sharing their plans for making New York City more accessible and inclusive on July 22, during the 36th anniversary event hosted by the Center for the Independence of the Disabled, New York (CIDNY).  It was held at their Manhattan office, located at 1010 Avenue of Americas, Suite 301, NYC, NY 10018. Attendees included: Brad Lander, former NYC comptroller and the Democratic Nominee for Congress (NY, 10th Congressional District); Patricia Fahy, NYS Senator (46th Senate District) and chair of the Senate Committee on Disabilities; and Midori Valdivia, commissioner for the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC).  First, Lander began by sharing some of the history that led to the establishing and passing of the ADA, which was signed on July 26, 1990. This included section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Though it wasn’t enforced until four years later, it provided authorized funding for independent living centers, and sparked the movement for full inclusion.  “Disability rights activists, their bodies on the line, got arrested, through Disabled in Action, and Centers for Independent Living, and staged coordinated protests all across the country with the big one in San Francisco, but all across the country," Lander explained.  "They did not leave until they got a commitment for the enforcing of that law. That happened on April 28th, 1977. That's what then led to the ADA Act in 1990, using the same definitions, but then pushing that out to cover local laws and state cities and businesses and public accommodations, that full recognition that disability rights are human rights." Lander added that he’d love to organize with disability advocates in April next year, in honor of the 50th anniversary of when the advocates at that time won implementation of section 504. Next, Fahy shared that she’d spent many years in Washington, DC as a staff member, working for U.S. Senator Paul Simon, not long after the ADA was passed. She also said she’s so grateful to live in New York, because despite federal attacks and cutbacks in services by the Trump administration, as a state, we will continue investing, honoring and trying to allow people with disabilities to live their best possible life.  While acknowledging that as a society, we have made so many strides in improving the lives of people with disabilities, Fahy stated, It's more important now than ever, that we need to break down these barriers and that's part of what the ADA was about. That is one of the fundamental ideals of it.”  One of the Senate bills she’s a lead sponsor of is the Consumer Wheelchair Repair Act, which would require manufacturers to make certain documentation, parts, embedded software, firmware, or tools available necessary for repairing equipment. This bill would also establish a program for timely repair of powered wheelchairs, and deem all powered wheelchair repairs needed within 5 years of initial assessment as medically necessary. The bill made it through the Senate, though it did not get it through the House of Representatives this year. According to Fahy, the Senate is working very closely with wheelchair advocates on it, and she believes it will pass next year.  Prior to becoming the commissioner of TLC in April, Valdivia was a city appointee as a board member to the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). In that time, she had the opportunity to lead the first ever on-demand pilot program for MTA Access-a-Ride. This meant that through taxi service companies such as Curb, Arrow, Uber, disabled people could get a service that was paid through Access-a-Ride, with a certain number of trips a month.  “What I learned from that experience was that we all know this, but to work with the service industry, to support freedom of movement and a real transportation option for new workers. It has such a profound impact on me, working with all of them, and it was so exciting to have helped roll that out,” Valdivia stated.  Her goal right now is to improve service, and reduce refusals — to engage drivers, to hold more trainings.  “I know that it's important, the real affordable transportation options, and I know that Access-a-Ride can be part of that solution. I'm committed to work with the MTA. MTA hasn't agreed to this yet, but I'm committed to working with the MTA because I want to increase the market share of TLC vehicles in our Access-a-Ride programs,” she added.  Those who are interested in supporting CIDNY and the advocacy work they do in the disability community in NYC can donate here: https://www.cidny.org/donation/
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