Thirty Years After the Americans with Disabilities Act: Where Are We Now, and Where are We Heading?

The Americans with Disabilities Act was a landmark legislation passed 30 years ago that was designed to more fully include people with disabilities in American society, especially in the workplace. Since that time, other policies have reformed programs related to special education, community living, employment supports, health care, and federal disability programs. Although the supports for living with a disability today are surely different than they were three decades ago, barriers to full integration remain.

Mathematica’s Center for Studying Disability Policy held an online roundtable discussion on August 5, 2020, from 2:30 to 3:45 p.m. ET with our panel of experts about the current state of policies and initiatives designed to help people with disabilities fully participate in the labor force and, more broadly, in society. The event was moderated by Gina Livermore, a Mathematica senior fellow and the director of the Center for Studying Disability Policy. Our panelists include the following:

John Tschida, acting executive director of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities and former director of National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR).

Jennifer Sheehy, deputy assistant secretary leading the Office of Disability Employment Policy in the U.S. Department of Labor and appointed by the President to serve on the AbilityOne Commission in 2016.

Jill Houghton, president and CEO of Disability:IN, a nonprofit resource for businesses to advance disability inclusion and equality. Ms. Houghton served as the executive director of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel until its legislative sunset in January 2008.

Jason Fichtner, senior lecturer of international economics and an associate director of the international economics and finance program at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Dr. Fichtner previously served in several positions at the Social Security Administration, including as deputy commissioner of Social Security (acting), chief economist, and associate commissioner for retirement policy.