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On March 18, 1963, unanimously decided Gideon v. Wainwright, one of the landmark cases of the modern era.

"If an obscure Florida convict named Clarence Earl Gideon had not sat down in prison with a pencil and paper to write a letter to the Supreme Court; and if the Supreme Court had not taken the trouble to look at the merits in that one crude petition among all the bundles of mail it must receive every day, the vast machinery of American law would have gone on functioning undisturbed. But Gideon did write that letter; the court did look into his case; he was re-tried with the help of competent defense counsel; found not guilty and released from prison after two years of punishment for a crime he did not commit. And the whole course of legal history has been changed."

-- Robert F. Kennedy

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July 26, 2021 marks the 31st Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Celebrations of the signing of the ADA by President George H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990 take place across the nation each year in July.

The ADA and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) give civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, s*x, national origin, age, and religion. The ADA and ADAAA also assure equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities for access to businesses, employment, transportation, state and local government programs and services, and telecommunications.

“Because of the outreach, training and technical assistance the ADA National Network has done to promote voluntary compliance with the ADA, people with disabilities now have better access to businesses, buildings, state and local government programs and services, as well as increased opportunities for competitive employment. And their opportunities for full participation in community life are increasing every day, “ said Pamela Williamson, Director of the Southeast ADA Center.

The Americans with Disabilities Act, Signing Ceremony, July 26, 1990 The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs' (ECA) mission is to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of o...