In the grand tapestry of American civil rights laws, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) stands as a beacon of progress, a testament to our society’s commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity.
This landmark 1990 legislation—along with its predecessor, The Rehabilitation Act of 1973—aimed to tear down the barriers that prevented people with disabilities from fully participating in all aspects of American life, including the workplace.
According to 2022 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) eight in 10 people with disabilities were not part of the labor force, with their diagnoses precluding many from employment.
But there has been progress. The percentage of disabled Americans who are employed increased 2.2 percent between 2021 and 2022. However, there is much room for improvement.
New York City’s cosmopolitan greatness evolved largely because of its vibrant transportation network of subways and surface bus lines, along with railroads to Long Island, Westchester, Connecticut and New Jersey. And let’s not forget about Amtrak, connecting us to the rest of the nation. Just as vital to the city’s advancement has been the enhancement of access to public transportation for everyone.
Mass transit connects cities and their people to jobs, education and critical services, making it a fundamental pillar of any society. Though significant improvements have undoubtedly been made, navigating public transportation systems can be daunting for individuals with limited mobility. This absolutely impacts where New Yorkers with a disability can live, work, shop or dine out.
That being said, let’s give credit where credit is due. In New York City, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has spearheaded efforts to make 95 percent of subway stations ADA-accessible by 2055. As of June 2022, the number of fully ADA-accessible stations had exceeded 28 percent (or 139) of the 493 subway and Staten Island Railroad stations—up from 23 percent in September 2019.
Retrofitting decades- or century-old train stations is no small feat. Station modernization projects must be executed meticulously given all the public and private infrastructure buried underground around us.
These modernizations have introduced technologically advanced elevators, wheelchair ramps, designated seating, lighting and public announcement systems.
Robust transportation access profoundly impacts the lives of all New Yorkers, specifically individuals with mobility issues, especially in the context of opening career doors. Alternatively, lack of accessible transportation within a neighborhood could restrict a person with limited mobility, thus diminishing their chances to achieve or maintain quality employment.
According to the BLS, the unemployment rate of disabled people across the nation was 7.6% in 2022—double the 3.5% rate among the non-disabled.
Employment is the cornerstone of self-sufficiency and independence. For individuals with mobility issues, meaningful careers can be a lifeline to social inclusion and financial independence.
The work accomplished by construction and labor organizations to make MTA stations more ADA-accessible is vital to providing increased job market access. People whose employment options may have once been hindered by lack of public transportation may now contribute to the labor force.
In the three decades since the ADA’s passage, good progress has been achieved in dismantling barriers to mobility issues, yet there is still more work ahead.
By addressing these challenges head-on, we can create a more inclusive and equitable society—one where every American and every New Yorker—regardless of their abilities—has equal access to our expansive public transportation network and accompanying employment opportunities.
Larry Pappas is president of Holbrook-based Forte Construction, which focuses on addressing ADA compliance and accessibility for mass transit settings.
Image and article originally from libn.com. Read the original article here.