Celebrate the 36th Anniversary of the ADA

On July 26, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) turns 36. Here are 35 ways to celebrate!

July 16, 2026
Events, July

July 26, 2026, marks the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The ADA is a civil rights law that affirms and protects the rights of people with disabilities to participate in public life. It forbids discrimination on the basis of disability in the areas of employment, government services, public accommodations, access to transportation, and communications. Under the ADA, employers are also required to make reasonable accommodations for applicants or employees with a disability.

In honor of its 36th birthday, here’s how we got this landmark law, which continues to be relevant today.

History of the ADA

1964: The Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin
1973: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in federally funded programs
1977: Hundreds of disability advocates staged sit-ins in federal buildings around the U.S. to protest the failure to enforce Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
1988: The Fair Housing Act is expanded to prohibit discrimination in housing based on disability
1990: The ADA is signed into law by President George H.W. Bush
2008: The ADA is amended to broaden the definition of a disability

The ADA was passed more than three decades ago, but its history goes back much further than that. While smaller grassroots efforts had been going on for years, by the 1960s, the civil rights movement had brought national attention to barriers in employment, public transportation, and housing. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbid discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, but it left out individuals with disabilities.

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 made some headway when it prohibited discrimination on the basis of disability in federally funded programs, but disability advocates called for additional protections to ensure equal opportunities in other areas of public life.

With the support of individual activists and groups like The Arc, the ADA was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990. The ADA was later amended in 2008 to protect a broader range of individuals with disabilities. Today, the results of the ADA can be seen in nearly every public space, from curb cuts in sidewalks, to ramps and elevators in buildings and closed captions on TV.

The next three decades

Although the ADA has made significant strides toward equality for people with disabilities in public life, there’s still a long way to go. People with disabilities are twice as likely to live in poverty and four times more likely to experience homelessness. They experience higher rates of unemployment, and those who are employed earn less than workers who do not have a disability. They also face poorer health outcomes and barriers in access to healthcare.

As we celebrate the anniversary of the ADA, we reflect on what the law means for the one in four Americans living with a disability, and recommit to the work that still needs to be done to ensure full inclusion and participation for everyone.

36 ways to celebrate the ADA anniversary

1. Download and share the ADA fact sheet.

2. Include information about the history and importance of the ADA in a newsletter, blog, or social media post. Feel free to copy and paste the information above!

3. Learn about assistive devices such as mobility aids, screen readers, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).

4. Start a conversation n online or in-person about how ADA has impacted the lives of people with disabilities and the broader community. Share what you learned with friends, family, and local leaders.

5. Attend an ADA training or webinar. The ADA National Network offers a variety of training opportunities.

6. If you have a child or younger siblings, talk to them about the ADA. Here is a guide for kids up to grade 5, grades 6-8, and grade 9 and up.

7. Share these ADA cartoons, created by the Northeast ADA Center and Cornell University.

8. Create a poster or hold a poster contest on what the ADA means to you.

9. Visit an inclusive gallery or organize an art show featuring works by individuals with disabilities.

10. Join an X (Twitter) chat. The ADA Network hosts quarterly chats related to the Americans with Disabilities Act at #ADANetworkChat.

11. Participate in a disability pride parade. You can find one in your area by Googling “disability pride parade + [your city]”.

12. Host or join a TED Talk watch party. Here’s a list of great TED Talks on accessibility and inclusion.

13. Share what the ADA means to you using the hashtag #ThanksToTheADA.

14. Listen to an episode of the ADA Live! podcast.

15. Look for ways to improve accessibility at your workplace, school, community space, or local businesses. The New England ADA Center provides a free ADA checklist for existing facilities.

16. Check a website for accessibility using a free tool like the Accessibility Checker.

17. Attend a disability-related conference or event.

18. Read a book by an author with a disability.

19. Share a children’s book about disability inclusion to help raise the next generation of allies.

20. Invite a guest blogger, speaker, or community member to share their perspective on disability inclusion.

21. Volunteer with an organization that promotes accessibility and inclusion. For example, Habitat for Humanity helps build affordable homes or renovate existing houses to make them more accessible for people with disabilities.

22. If you believe you or someone else has been discriminated against because of a disability, visit ada.gov to learn how to file a complaint.

23. Go on an accessibility scavenger hunt in your school, workplace, or community. This worksheet from the Vermont Statewide Independent Living Council is designed for schools, but could be easily adapted to other environments.

24. Feature the ADA anniversary logo on your website or social media.

25. Watch a movie or documentary that explores disability, accessibility, and inclusion.

26. Tweet or post about the ADA anniversary. Make your content accessible by providing alt-text for images and captions or transcripts for videos.

27. Host or attend a lunch-and-learn featuring a guest speaker with a disability who can share their experience with the ADA.

28. Share stories of employees, clients, community members, or advocates with disabilities on your social media.

29. Review the accessibility and inclusivity of your workplace or personal projects using the Section 188 Disability Reference Guide.

30. Locate your regional ADA Center to learn about local resources, training, and support.

31. Tune in for a webinar on the history of the ADA.

32. Learn about influential women like Mary Lou Breslin who helped shape the ADA.

33. Honor inventors with disabilities whose discoveries continue to shape our world today.

34. Contact an elected official to share your support for disability rights and accessibility initiatives in your state or local community.

35. Download the disability events calendar to identify other events where you can raise awareness about disabilities and inclusion throughout the year.

36. Share these ideas with family members, coworkers, community groups, and local organizations to spread the word.

Download the free Disability Events calendar

There you have it: 36 ways to celebrate the ADA anniversary. Which ones will you choose? For more disability-related events and observances you can participate in all year, download our free Disability Events Calendar.