July 2026 marks the celebration of the signing of two monumental documents—the Declaration of Independence (the Declaration) on July 4, 1776 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990. In years—250 versus 36—there’s no comparison. In historic significance, most would say the Declaration overshadows the ADA. All the same, parallels in these two epic writings are noteworthy.
Political protests were integral to the birth of both. The Declaration was born out of resistance to British oppression of the colonists through punitive laws and taxation without representation. The ADA was birthed from a grassroots uprising of people with disabilities rebelling against centuries of discrimination.
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The Declaration commenced with a revolt that escalated into the American Revolutionary War. According to Arlene Mayerson, “The ADA story began . . . in cities and towns throughout the United States when people with disabilities began to challenge societal barriers that excluded them from their communities, and when parents of children with disabilities began to fight against the exclusion and segregation of their children. It began with the establishment of local groups to advocate for the rights of people with disabilities. It began with the establishment of the independent living movement which challenged the notion that people with disabilities needed to be institutionalized, and which fought for and provided services for people with disabilities to live in the community. (Mayerson, an expert disability rights lawyer,testified before several Congressional committee hearings on the ADA.)
Congress issued both documents—the Second Continental Congress, representing 13 colonies, unanimously adopted the Declaration; the 101st Congress, representing the 50 states of the United States of America, decisively passed the ADA with 377 to 28 votes in the House of Representatives and 91 to 6 in the Senate.
The quest for equality was at the root of both documents. The Declaration proclaimed that “all men are created equal.” Likewise, the ADA’s findings regarding individuals with disabilities included assurance of “equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency” and recognized that “the continuing existence of unfair and unnecessary discrimination and prejudice denies people with disabilities the opportunity to compete on an equal basis.” 42 U.S.C. § 12101(a)(7), (8).
As tempting as it is to continue comparing the two documents, I’ll leave it to history buffs to delve deeper into the significance of the Declaration of Independence. This post will proceed with my 70 plus years’ experience as a person with dwarfism pursuing equality and independence in 21st century society.
My parents were instrumental in instilling independence in me. Getting me to and from school independently provides two telling childhood scenarios. Although I began school as a five-year old with taxi rides, I was soon strong enough to walk the distance. Naturally, after such a luxurious beginning, I preferred to be driven and tried to cajole my father into giving me a ride. But he regularly withstood my pleas and only succumbed if it was raining. Typically he said, “you better get on your way before you’re late.” Only in retrospect, did I see how his wisdom set me on the road to independence.
At age 11, I was confronted with the challenge of almost a mile between our house and my new school—too far for me to walk. My parents determined to find me an independent means of transport. Their solution was to buy me a bike. But how was I going to ride it?
It was easy to find a child’s size learner bike, but rotating the pedals with fused knees was impossible, or so it seemed. My great grandfather, a retired blacksmith, came up with the answer—release the brake mechanism on the chain and pedal in half circles instead of a full rotation. Doing this made forward propulsion possible. The left foot powered me forward and the right foot lowered the pedal into position for another left foot push. It was never anticipated that I would go fast enough to achieve a constant balance, so the learner wheels were permanently attached. As I could only go about the speed of the average person walking, all my riding was done on the sidewalk.
Learning independence as a child set me up well for adulthood. Independence was so imbedded in me that I disdained dependence on others for things I could do for myself. I escaped establishing a relationship of provider and receiver wherein the provider gained control and decided what would be given and when. I was not at the mercy of charity which fluctuates with the changes of the economy and mood of the day. I was prepared to fully participate in education, the work force, and public life.
The pursuit took on a new front when I launched out of my family’s orbit into the adult job market. I knew my capabilities and expected employers to afford me an equal opportunity when considering job candidates. However, employment discrimination was rampant before passage of the ADA. Six years prior to ADA protection, I had no recourse against employers who discriminated against me. Two examples come to mind:
- In a legal clinic with an assembly-line approach to cases, the interviewer told me there were only 30 minutes in which to gain a client’s confidence; he was certain I couldn’t do this. Relating my five years’ experience as a legal aid lawyer in a New Zealand District Court—where I only had five minutes to gain a client’s confidence—did nothing to persuade him otherwise.
- In a private law firm, the interviewing attorney disrespectfully leaned back into his leather swivel chair with his feet on the desk. His only questions were unrelated to the position or my work experience as a lawyer. He signaled he was about to wrap the interview when he put his feet on the ground. However, he was startled into a bolt upright position when I challenged his failure to ask me any questions about my qualifications. He sheepishly responded with one open ended question. Answering seemed pointless, but I still went into sales mode and pitched my experience and credentials. As anticipated my speech did nothing to penetrate his prejudice, but at least he learned that I knew he was a bigot!
Despite the ADA not coming in time to provide me with redress from employment discrimination, I did not need Congressional declarations of independence and equality to maintain full employment in my career. I was raised and lived with these expectations for myself and others. With God’s help, I found employers who counted credentials not inches.
Today I am grateful that the Declaration and ADA stand as testimony to America’s national conscience and heritage. I celebrate the people of prior generations who understood the value of independence and equality both before and after these documents were written. And tomorrow I encourage all people to emulate these principles for the benefit of our shared existence in society.
Image Credit: ADA National Network (adata.org), 1-800-949-4232.
For more Angela Muir Van Etten blog posts on independence and equality, go to:
- “Are We There Yet?” January 29, 2024. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/are-we-there-yet/
- “The Long Road to Update Federal Reach Guidelines.” July 24, 2023. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/federal-reach-guidelines/
- “Fighting for Independence.” July 3, 2023. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/fighting-for-independence/
- “ADA and Taxi/Rideshare Services.” July 25, 2022. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/ada-and-taxi-rideshare-services/
- “Measure Up for Independence.” July 5, 2021, https://angelamuirvanetten.com/measure-up-for-independence/
Disability equality and independence themes also permeate Van Etten’s dwarfism memoir trilogy found at https://angelamuirvanetten.com/books/
- ALWAYS AN ADVOCATE: Champions of Change for People with Dwarfism and Disabilities
- PASS ME YOUR SHOES: A Couple with Dwarfism Navigates Life’s Detours with Love and Faith
- Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses