One of the authors of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), former Senator Tom Harkin, has said that his proudest moment as a legislator was just before the Senate approved the law, when he publicly thanked the person who inspired him to champion it.
That person was his late brother, Frank, who was deaf. On national television, the senator used American Sign Language (ASL) to say thank you so Frank could understand him—and despite the silence on air as he signed, the senator spoke volumes to millions of people across America.
Senator Harkin saw firsthand the barriers that disabled people faced in our society. He observed that Frank was limited not by his disability, but rather, by the low expectations of others. With this knowledge, Senator Harkin joined with advocates and colleagues from both sides of the aisle to lay the foundation for change.
Together they helped pass the ADA—34 years ago this month—a major accomplishment. The ADA has spurred significant progress across America, especially when it comes to accessibility of the built environment. When it comes to the workplace, however, progress has been slower and a gap in employment persists between people with disabilities and those without. As is often said, employment is the unfinished business of the ADA.
I believe we have a moral imperative to finish it, and we in the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and the Department of Labor at large are committed to doing so. President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is generating millions of good jobs in high-growth sectors. These good jobs demand a strong workforce inclusive of disabled workers. Going forward, we must advance access to these good jobs.
How do we do this? We look at access through a wider lens, so we can see its many different forms.
To start, we must increase access to workplace accommodations—which are at the heart of the ADA’s employment provisions. This one is personal for me, because I had accommodations in college, but it wasn’t until I entered the workforce that I realized it was the ADA that gave me the right to such access. Early in my career, I asked for an accommodation and after seeking advice from a mentor on how to make the request, the process went smoothly. But without the ADA, I would not have been guaranteed access to what I needed, in that job or subsequent ones.
To advance access to good jobs, we must also increase the accessibility of and access to technology. We must ensure that artificial intelligence is used to include, not exclude, qualified applicants and employees.
We must increase access to workforce mental health supports and prioritize worker well-being. There are still too many barriers to disclosing mental health conditions in the workplace and seeking mental health support.
We must increase access to competitive integrated employment, through which people with disabilities can participate in and contribute to our communities in meaningful careers.
Perhaps most importantly, we must increase access to high expectations, especially for youth with disabilities who, like all youth, need opportunities to prepare for and succeed in good jobs that instill a sense of purpose and belonging.
This is how we uphold the promise of the ADA. This is also how we strengthen our workforce. The authors of the ADA, including Senator Harkin—who today through the Harkin Institute continues to champion this issue—understood this, and we thank them for their vision. We also pledge to uphold it. The key is widening the lens.
Taryn M. Williams is the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy.
