On July 26, 2024, the Academy hosted a virtual event marking the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Disability community leaders reflected on the road ahead within the social insurance sphere to achieve the unrealized goals of the ADA.
Expert Panelists:
Maria Town
President and CEO,
American Association of People with Disabilities
Nev Jones
Assistant Professor,
School of Social Work, the University of Pittsburgh
Taylor Carty
The National Academy
of Social Insurance Eileen Sweeney Disability Policy Intern, MPH Candidate, University of California Los Angeles
Keith Jones
President and CEO,
SoulTouchin’ Enterprises
July 26, 2024 marks the 34 years since the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and in recent years has come to be marked by U.S. disability community as Disability Pride Month. Significant progress has been made in the decades since when it comes to disability rights, inclusion, indepdent living, and equity — and critical social insurance and related programs, such as Social Security Disability Insurance, Supplemental Security Income, Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act, have been a big part of the story.
Yet, more than three decades later, many of the core goals of the ADA remain unfulfilled. Outdated policies like asset limits and marriage penalties and gaps in our social insurance fabric are part of that story too. This virtual event featured a panel discussion with leaders across the disability community, reflecting on why social insurance matters to the disability community — and the road ahead within the social insurance sphere to achieve the goals of the ADA.