[NYAPRS Enews] SAMHSA Celebrates 25th ADA Anniversary with 7/29 Webinar

[Briana Gilmore]

Join SAMHSA in Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act
SAMHSA; Paolo del Vecchio, 7/20/2015

REGISTER<https://www.eventbrite.com/e/celebrating-the-25th-anniversary-of-the-americans-with-disabilities-act-tickets-17770873160> for SAMHSA's July 29, 2015 webinar to recognize the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  Webinar participants will hear from expert presenters and panelists about the history and accomplishments of the ADA, the Olmstead decision, and the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness program for Americans with behavioral health disabilities.
Twenty-five years ago, on July 26, 1990, American citizens with disabilities, including those with mental health or substance use conditions, were guaranteed the same rights enjoyed by other citizens when President George H.W. Bush signed the ADA into law.  The law acknowledged that individuals with disabilities make valuable contributions to the greatness of our nation.
Thanks to the ADA's establishment of rights, we have seen major progress in meeting the promise of full participation in American life for citizens with disabilities.  The ADA has led to increased access to jobs, education, transportation, and housing that have supported the hopes and dreams of people with disabilities.  SAMHSA has worked<http://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/mh_fact_sheet_1-22-15_with_ml_edits_2.pdf> to ensure these rights and increase access to treatment, recovery, and services for individuals with behavioral health conditions and their family members.
Despite these advances, too many Americans with disabilities, particularly those with mental illnesses and addictions, still face serious challenges such as homelessness, unemployment, isolation, poverty and poor nutrition, prejudice and discrimination.  Perhaps most troublingly, Americans with disabilities also face high rates of poor physical health and early mortality.  This must change.  People with disabilities should share in the ADA's promise and protections, and it is our shared responsibility to make these hopes and dreams a reality for all.
In 1999, thanks to the courage of two American heroes with disabilities, including mental illness, the U.S. Supreme Court took a major step forward.  In Olmstead v. L.C.<http://www.narpa.org/olmstead.htm>, the Supreme Court ruled that the ADA requires public entities to facilitate the integration of persons with disabilities to live within communities rather than unnecessarily in institutional settings.
SAMHSA is honored to host a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the ADA and rights protection services and programs for individuals with disabilities - including mental and substance use disorders - on July 29, 2015 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  Please join SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D., Lois Curtis, a plaintiff in the Olmstead case, Richard Rice, whose rights were protected by the ADA, and other experts.
Find out more about the event and register!<https://www.eventbrite.com/e/celebrating-the-25th-anniversary-of-the-americans-with-disabilities-act-tickets-17770873160>
http://blog.samhsa.gov/2015/07/20/join-samhsa-in-celebrating-the-25th-anniversary-of-the-americans-with-disabilities-act/#.VbI517NViko
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