35 Years Since the ADA, Advocates Say Progress Has Been Made but More Can Be Done

People living with disabilities in Fargo cited several common issues, such as inconsistent snow removal and a lack of accessible doors to downtown businesses.

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – The Americans with Disabilities Act went into effect on July 26, 1990.

Thirty-five years later, it’s plain to see that it has profoundly transformed life for disabled people in the United States.

“We have seen ramps and accessible parking, and accessible restrooms. It’s really transformed the accessibility and usability of the built environment for people with disabilities,” said Emily Shuman, director of the Rocky Mountain ADA Center.

Advocates say, though, that there is more still to be considered.

Discrimination is a major issue addressed by the ADA, but for this piece, I focused on the physical accessibility of the Fargo-Moorhead area.

After I solicited feedback on Facebook, many came forward, including Nora Ruth.

Nora had high praise for the city’s adaptive sports programs, put on in conjunction with Hope, Inc.

However, she stated that many downtown stores were difficult to navigate with mobility aids such as her crutches, and said handicapped door access was markedly inconsistent.

“Oftentimes there won’t be a button there, other times there will be a button but it doesn’t work,” she explained.

There were also complaints about events like the downtown street fair or Red River Market, with some saying it was not set up to be easily navigated by those with mobility restrictions and that it also made it harder, in some cases, for those people to access their apartments or condos.

One comment also criticized delivery drivers for services like DoorDash or UberEats for parking in handicapped spots when going inside to pick up food.

The takeaway seems to be that we all could stand to be a bit more mindful about those with restrictions or impairments, because, in the end, it’s an issue that affects everybody.

“More likely that not, we’re going to be impacted by disability in a very personal way at some point in our lives,” said Shuman.