THE CENTER FOR DISABILITY RIGHTS HONORS THE 33RD ANNIVERSARY OF THE SIGNING OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

BY HELANA SHUMWAY

On July 26th, 1990, President George H. W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law by declaring it illegal to discriminate against people living with disabilities. e landmark legislation was a pivotal moment for disability rights in the US.

National Disability Independence Day now falls annually on July 26th to commemorate the signing of the ADA. 2023 marks the Act’s 33rd anniversary, and here in Rochester, NY, the Center for Disability Rights will host a gala to celebrate.

e gala will be on the anniversary itself – July 26th, 2023 – at ARTISANworks. In addition to celebrating the ADA’s signing, the Center for Disability Rights will recognize Kim Hill and Jennifer Skoog-Harvey for their hard work and dedication to supporting disability rights in New York State.

Hill is New York State’s Chief Disability O cer and will receive the Community Champion Advocate Award for her years of service, advocacy, and creating initiatives for individuals living with disabilities.

Skoog-Harvey, Chief of Sta to Assemblymember Harry Bronson, will receive the Adele Carlson Advocacy Award for her advocacy surrounding a case in which a paraplegic consumer faced losing services.

is year’s gala will be the rst one for CDR following the pandemic,andtheorganizationisexcitedtohonortheincredible work of its team and dedicated community members. All proceeds from the gala go directly to support services and programs at the Center for Disability Rights.

I was fortunate enough to be able to connect with CDR recently and spoke with Jason Barber, the Center’s Development Manager. In addition to sharing the exciting news about the gala’s return, Barber spoke about the amazing work CDR does every day. “We work hard daily to nd the needs for individuals that have been pushed aside or haven’t been addressed,” Barber said.

e Center for Disability Rights has three other locations in Geneva, Corning, and Albany. Guided by support from the organization’s CEO, BruceDarling,alongwitharemarkableLeadershipTeam,thisnotfor-pro t advocates for all community members with disabilities, regardless of age or ability to pay. CDR has grown exponentially over the last thirty years and currently serves 10,000 people with disabilities in New York State.

CDR provides a wide array of services for individuals, including sign language interpreting services, deaf and deaf/ blind services, service coordination, independent living support, disability employment connection, consumer directed personal assistance services (CDPAS), and more.

OneservicethathasgarneredalotofsuccessistheCommunity Supplemental Needs “Pooled” Trust program, which supplements consumers’ nancial needs. is program allows consumers to send any income surplus to the pooled trust. e trust then turns around and pays the bills and expenses for those same consumers.

It is clear that the Center for Disability Rights is personcentered and determined to advocate for the civil rights of all people living with disabilities. e organization aims to empower all individuals through encouraging autonomy, independent thinking, and providing support in all decision-making processes.

e Center is passionate about eliminating barriers to care and creating a society that is more just and equitable for all. e organization believes that one of the most important aspects of a just society is to support community-based and home-based services as opposed to institutional services. is provides people with disabilities the highest levels of independence and autonomy, and it allows for individuals to remain as integrated as possible in their community.

us, in light of the 33rd anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Center for Disability Rights re ects on the spectacular successes achieved for the rights of people with disabilities, but they also look forward to the important work yet to be done. e organization will continue as a strong voice for developing and implementing equitable policies to support disability rights in New York and throughout the country.

For more information on the Center for Disability Rights, visit cdrnys.org. e Center is grateful for community members’ support, and all donations go directly toward their services.