‘The Great Unifier’: Tennesseans with disabilities find broad local support
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE TENNESSEE DISABILITY COALITION:
“THE GREAT UNIFIER”: TENNESSEANS WITH DISABILITIES FIND BROAD LOCAL SUPPORT
As Americans With Disabilities Act Turns 35, Mayors Honor ADA; Reaffirm Commitment to Civil Rights
Nashville, Tenn., July 23, 2025 — From large metro areas like Nashville and Chattanooga, to smaller cities such as Collierville and Franklin, mayors across Tennessee are showing public support for their residents with disabilities. With Disability Pride Month in full swing, they are issuing proclamations that not only recognize the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)—July 26—but also reaffirm their city’s commitments to two foundational civil rights laws that preceded it:
– Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination based on disability in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance, ensuring equal access to education, employment, and public services.
– The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which guarantees children with disabilities a free appropriate public education.
Signed into law with strong bipartisan support in July 1990, the ADA marked a historic commitment to equal opportunity for millions of Americans living with disabilities. That same month, Disability Pride Month began and has since grown into a celebration of the identity, culture, and contributions of people with disabilities.
Originally signed by President George H.W. Bush on the South Lawn of the White House on July 26, 1990, commemorating the ADA remains vital, say advocates, who emphasize its ongoing impact on accessibility and inclusion.
“As the ADA turns 35, many Tennesseans are growing up unaware of what life was like before it—how hard it was to access basic things like education and health care, and how hard we had to fight,” said Sarah Sampson, executive director of the Tennessee Disability Coalition (TDC). “At a time when diversity initiatives are being challenged, the realities of disability stand out as the great unifier. Disability is, and always has been, a natural part of the human experience. It touches every age, political stripe, race, and religion—it doesn’t discriminate.”
Oakland, Tenn. resident Carrie Carlson agrees. Carlson is the TDC’s Director of Community Engagement, and ADA Coordinator. In her role at the TDC, she sees every day how Tennesseans’ perspectives abruptly change when they or someone they love experience a disability.
“A lot of people think it’s a ‘special’ law for a group of people to get ‘special’ things – but it’s not. It protects all Americans, not just people with disabilities. The ADA, 504, and IDEA are all forms of dignity insurance, regardless if you acquired your disability at birth, from an accident, or just old age. There’s really nothing ‘special’ about basic access to an education, a job, and a roof over your head.”
Amy Saffell is a Franklin resident and executive director of ABLE Youth; a Nashville-based nonprofit that teaches independence, skills, and sports to young wheelchair users. “With the swipe of a pen, the ADA put the world on notice,” said Saffell, herself a wheelchair user. She sees the ADA as one of America’s greatest achievements.
“Just like electricity, the internet, or landing on the moon, the ADA asserted our American values and changed the course of history. Other countries took notice, and passed similar disability laws across the globe.”
Saffell and her young athletes joined other Franklin residents on July 8 to accept Franklin’s proclamation.
“In times like these, with proclamations coming from all over Tennessee, just prove that disability rights—like those in Section 504, IDEA, and the ADA— are things we can agree on, and key to what makes America great,” Saffell added.
To commemorate the ADA’s 35th anniversary and Disability Pride Month, the Tennessee Disability Coalition has launched a dedicated page on its website featuring a full list of city proclamations, local events, a social media toolkit, and more. Tennesseans with and without disabilities are encouraged to participate or submit their own celebrations. Learn more at www.tndisability.org/ADA35.
About the Tennessee Disability Coalition
The Tennessee Disability Coalition (TDC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit alliance of 40+ organizations and individuals united to promote the full and equal participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of life. Through public policy, programs, and purpose, the TDC advocates for self-determination, independence, and inclusion in areas such as accessibility, education, healthcare, housing, and voting rights. Learn more at www.tndisability.org, email coalition@tndisability.org, or text TEAMWORK to 72690.
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