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32 years ago the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into federal law. The ADA is a comprehensive civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. One of its provisions is Title III, which mandates that all places of public accommodation, such as retail stores, restaurants, health care providers, train stations, to name a few examples, must be accessible to individuals with disabilities. Barriers, such as stairs and steps, which prohibit persons with disabilities from accessing services must be removed to comply with this civil rights law.
To be clear, it is an act of discrimination if a place of public accommodation is inaccessible to a person with a disability – if that person is unable to enter a retail establishment to purchase a piece of clothing, unable to access a restaurant to enjoy a meal with friends or be denied access to public restrooms.
Unfortunately, there are still numerous businesses and public facilities that are not in compliance with the ADA and deny persons with disabilities their civil rights to full and equal enjoyment of services and commodities in the same manner as everyone else.
Dutchess Disability Advocacy Partnership (DDAP) is dedicated to promoting and maintaining systems advocacy efforts that will result in improving and enhancing the civil rights of individuals with disabilities in Dutchess County. The overarching goal of DDAP is to promote the full inclusion of persons with disabilities in every aspect of community life in Dutchess County.