Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission joined public and private entities across the U.S. in reaffirming its commitment to expanding access to employment, education and public places and services for people with disabilities.

“Access is a civil right,” Commission Chairperson Stephen A. Glassman said. “Achieving equal opportunity for people with disabilities presents the challenge of removing physical barriers as well as changing attitudes that lead to discrimination. But it is a challenge we must meet. Equal opportunity is the law, not an option.”

The Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, was signed into law July 26, 1990, expanding civil rights on the federal level. The Pennsylvania Human Relations Act was amended the following year, adopting ADA standards for defining and prohibiting discrimination based on disability.

The national unemployment rate for people with disabilities was 14.4 percent in June, five percentage points higher than for workers with no disabilities. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 888,000 Pennsylvanians have disabilities and just fewer than 398,000 people with disabilities are in the workforce.

“In tough economic times, the first to suffer are the most vulnerable members of our communities,” Glassman said. “Many people with disabilities face greater challenges finding jobs and navigating their workplaces and communities. Despite the law, they are often targeted for job cuts or harassment, and the numbers of long-term unemployed are far higher than the official unemployment rate shows.

“When such a large segment of our population cannot get into a business, or are denied a job for which they are qualified, our economy suffers,” Glassman added. “From 1974 to 1990, Pennsylvania law had broader protections for people with disabilities. We have a longstanding commitment to making our commonwealth a more just and equitable place for every Pennsylvanian, regardless of disability.”

The commission works to educate employers, business and property owners on how to improve access to their businesses and services. A recent series of statewide commission seminars brought together business owners, advocates for people with disability and architects to explore creative, cost-effective solutions to meeting access challenges.

Commission investigators are currently being trained and supplied with toolkits to ensure uniformity of standards and quickly, effectively determine whether buildings are ADA-compliant.

Training to help a business, community, school or organization recognize and eliminate illegal discrimination can be requested online at www.phrc.state.pa.us or by calling 717-783-8266.