July 2024 marked the 34th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA was the world's
first comprehensive civil rights law for people with disabilities. 1 It was strengthened and expanded in
2008, in response to misinterpretation by the Supreme Court, in a bill called the ADA Amendments Act.
Republican presidents signed both bills, with overwhelming Republican congressional support.
1 https://www.archives.gov/calendar/ada25#:~:text=Signed%20on%20July%2026%2C%201990,Lawn%20of%20the
%20White%20House
1991, George H.W. Bush was president, but Democrats controlled Congress. 2 Only 8 senate Republicans
voted against the ADA. 3 President Bush later said that signing the ADA was his greatest achievement. 4
Later in life, when he became disabled, he was assisted by his service dog, Sully. 5
In 2008, Bush Senior’s son, George W. Bush, was our Republican president. Democrats held the House,
but now were tied with Republicans in the Senate. 6 The ADA Amendments Act passed the Senate by
unanimous consent. No one voted against it. 7 The ADAAA comprised only one part of George W.’s “New
Freedom Initiative”, announced only two weeks into his administration 8 , to expand funding and services
for people with disabilities by increasing assistive technology and universal design, increasing education
funding, and “Promoting Full Access to Community Life.” 9
Of course, these bills succeed based in years of advocacy by disabled people and their allies. But they
succeeded on a bipartisan basis because those Republicans understood, respected, and chose to protect
the contributions people