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HomeNewsClarksville Mayor Joe Pitts celebrates Americans with Disabilities Act’s 30th Anniversary

Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts celebrates Americans with Disabilities Act’s 30th Anniversary

City of ClarksvilleClarksville, TN – Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts and the Tennessee Disability Coalition are excited to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

This important civil rights legislation, signed by President George H.W. Bush in July 1990, prohibits discrimination and ensures people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as other Americans.

Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts
Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts

The ADA gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age and religion. It ensures equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications.

“The Americans with Disabilities Act was a big win for the civil rights of people with disabilities across the nation,” Mayor Pitts said. “As mayor, I’ve learned that you have to keep working hard every day to ensure, protect and expand opportunities for people with disabilities in Clarksville. This year, we’ve improved accessible parking in downtown, and we’ve worked to add captioning to City-sponsored video and sign-language interpreters to our Council meetings. We celebrate and honor the ADA, and will continue to do so with our words and deeds.”

To commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the ADA, Mayor Pitts and the Tennessee Disability Coalition are encouraging residents to use the hashtags #ThanksToTheADA and #InThisTogetherTN on social media. Moreover, the campaign aims to spotlight the thousands of Clarksville residents with disabilities, and their contributions to the community.

Carol Westlake, Executive Director of the Tennessee Disability Coalition, said more than 1.6 million Tennesseans have some form of disability.

“While the ADA’s impact certainly extends our friends who use assistive devices such as a wheelchair, the law also protects individuals with other diagnoses such as breast cancer, diabetes and heart disease,” Westlake said. “After 30 years, we recognize the important progress we’ve made, and look forward to working with leaders like Mayor Pitts to ensure the full and equal participation of all.”

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