San Rafael, CA – The County of Marin is marking the 28th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on Wednesday, July 25, with a free public program at the Marin County Civic Center in San Rafael.
The County hosted a large gathering to celebrate the ADA's 25th anniversary three years ago, including these four panelists. This year's event is Wednesday, July 25. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day, visitors will get to hear about the history of the disability rights movement, the struggle to get the ADA approved, and an overview of accessible programs and services offered by the County. There will be two expert panels, one on “Disability Across Your Lifetime” and one on “Modern Challenges and Solutions in the Disability Community.”
In addition, there will be a one-hour film titled “Lives Worth Living,” a documentary that exposes the ground-breaking ADA pioneers who realized they needed to work together to change the world. Through demonstrations and inside legislative battles, the disability rights community secured civil rights for all people with disabilities. Thanks to their efforts, tens of millions of people's lives have been changed.
This event is a collaboration of the County of Marin Disability Access Program, the Marin Disability Awareness and Workplace Networking Affinity Group, and the Marin Center for Independent Living. The mission of the County’s Disability Access Program is to ensure that all County programs, services, activities and facilities are accessible to and usable by all the people of Marin as well as visitors. The program is responsible for civil rights training and technical assistance, program accessibility consultation and resources, and architectural and engineering accessibility plan reviews and site surveys.
Accessibility is not just about physically getting around facilities. It’s also about program access. The County is committed to maximizing the accessibility of all its programs, services and activities. This includes, but is not limited to public documents, public meetings, online interactive services, and contracted services. The Disability Access Program works with all County departments and community partners to work toward a vision of County government services that are accessible to all.
The July 25 gathering at the Civic Center will be in the Board of Supervisors chamber, Suite 329, of the Civic Center, 3501 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael.
All public meetings and events sponsored or conducted by the County of Marin are held at accessible sites. If you are a person with a disability and require information or materials in alternative formats – or if you require accommodation to participate in a county program, service or activity – please contact department staff at (415) 473-7331 or (415) 473-4381 (voice/TTY) or e-mail disabilityaccess@marincounty.org.