The recent passing of former President George H. W. Bush was an opportunity for Texans to look back on his career of public service with pride. One of his administration’s most significant achievements was the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, passed with bipartisan support to protect individuals with disabilities. The ADA’s employment sections—adding disability status to the list of “protected characteristics” under federal anti-discrimination law, and its public accommodations provisions, removing physical barriers to access—are viewed as significant achievements by advocates for the disabled. After 28 years, the ADA is still going strong.
Life was different in 1990 when the ADA was passed. Faxes were commonplace, but email was rare. The internet was just emerging. The idea of online shopping was something out of “Buck Rogers,” and Jeff Bezos (who went to elementary school in Houston) was still three years away from creating an online bookstore called Amazon.
