On July 26th, 1990, Georges H.W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act, commonly known as the ADA, which legally prohibited discrimination based on disability. In celebration of the 28th Anniversary of the ADA, Tri-County Independent Living organized multiple free educational and recreational community events from July 24th to July 28th about disability, inclusion and independence.
All week long, the County Library in Eureka hosted a display by Tri-County Independent Living presenting the many milestones in the Disability Rights Movement that led to the passage of the ADA.
On July 25th, TCIL and Humboldt Community Access and Resource (HCAR) co-sponsored a free of charge all-day employers’ training called Windmills presented by world-renowned trainers Richard Pimentel and Milt Wright. 50 participants learned how to transform the workplace and attitudes of management and staff to include people with disabilities as positive, valued and equal peers.
Participants, who came from Humboldt and Del Norte Counties, learned that people with disabilities can bring a resilience, creativity, tenacity and “can do” attitude to the workplace, in addition to their skills and expertise. They also learned that 80% of disabilities are not visible. Participants also left with tips can be used to empower staff to work better together.
On the actual ADA anniversary date – July 26th– Tri-County Independent Living (TCIL) celebrated the 28th Anniversary of the ADA at Sequoia Park in Eureka by offering a free Picnic to the community featuring a presentation on the Sequoia Park Re-Design Update by the City of Eureka, Community Services Department (CSD). Donna Wood, Deputy Director of CSD, unveiled the future of Sequoia Park, stating it will be “a park that will grant more accessibility to all”.After dozens of hot-dogs were shared under a warming sun, the anniversary chocolate cake was sliced and well appreciated by the many participants that came to support the ADA.
On Saturday, July 28th, TCIL presented a free Film Screening at Richard’s Goat Miniplex in Arcata. The screening of several short films about real people with disabilities and the strategies they developed to live lives as independent as their able-bodied peers, followed by a discussion, brought greater awareness to our Community about disability independence.
The anniversary of the ADA was a perfect opportunity for Tri-County Independent Living (TCIL), a non-profit agency dedicated to support individuals with disabilities on their path to greater independence, to promote Civil Rights and educate the community about people with disabilities. TCIL is proud to have offered to the community all these free events and grateful to the community for its participation and to our partners who made it a success: The Student with Disabilities Resource Center in HSU, HCAR, Northwest Committee for Employment of People with Disabilities, City of Eureka, Superfest Film Festival and Miniplex at Richards’ Goat.