Lamondre Pough, local radio personality and motivational speaker On Monday, July 26, 2010, at 11 a.m. the Mayor’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities (MCEPD) held a rally at the South Carolina State House to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Mayor’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities exists to encourage opportunities for and support the efforts of Columbia businesses to provide employment for people with disabilities.

Mayor Steve Benjamin stated, “The City of Columbia is proud to be a state leader in the effort to end all forms of discrimination. The Mayor’s Committee on the Employment of People with Disabilities (MCEPD) is a prime example of our commitment to ensure that all of our citizens have the opportunity to live out the American dream.”

On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure the civil rights of people with disabilities. This legislation established a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities.

Kathy Martin, an attorney with Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities of S.C. The ADA prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in employment, state and local government services, public accommodations, commercial facilities, and transportation. It also mandates the establishment of TDD/telephone relay services. The ADA has expanded opportunities for Americans with disabilities by increasing access and participation in community life.

Monday’s rally included a proclamation by Mayor Steve Benjamin read by Columbia City Council Member Sam Davis to designate Monday, July 26, 2010, as the American with Disabilities Act Awareness Day in the City of Columbia.

Connie Lucius, City of Columbia Office of the Mayor; Sandy Bostick, chair of Mayor’s Committee on the Employment of People with Disabilities (MCEPD); Joy Middle, Intern, City of Columbia, Office of the Mayor; Carl Rouse, member of Mayor’s Committee for the Employment of People with Disabilities (MCEPD). Guest speakers included Lamondre Pough, local radio personality and motivational speaker, whose life sends a strong message of encourage- ment for those living with disabilities. Pough said there are approximately 54 million persons in our nation living with a disability. This affects one of three households. He pointed out that “the disabled population is the only minority group that any of us can join at any time,” and it is becoming the part of the mainstream population in our country.

Kathy Martin, an attorney with the organization Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities of South Carolina, provided an historical overview of the ADA and its impact on our culture. She said, “The last 20 years have seen great advances from the paternalistic attitudes of the past. The human potential of individuals with disabilities is now recognized; the word ‘disability’ is no longer synonymous with incompetence or with the inability to participate in the job market or the educational system. Individuals once perceived as needing protection, who were excluded from society because of attitudinal, communication, transportation, policy and physical barriers, are now established leaders in all aspects of modern society.”

The 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act celebrates the progress that has been made towards equality and equal opportunity for all Americans and calls for a recommitment to full compliance with the requirements of the American with Disabilities Act in our society.