Celebrating 30 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act

July 28, 2020

This month, UAF recognizes and celebrates the 30-year anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA.

President George H.W. Bush signed the ADA into law on July 26, 1990. It was amended in 2008 to broaden its coverage of people with disabilities and the definitions of disability. The ADA allows those with disabilities to more fully participate in their community.

Disabilities are part of life and intersect with other identities that are often marginalized. All members of our community have lived experiences that add value to society. UAF recognizes this and is taking action to create a more inclusive environment for individuals with disabilities, but we still have more work to do. We must continue to find new and better ways for every Nanook to participate fully and meaningfully in our campus life and in society.

Here are some ways UAF is taking action:

During UAF Pride Month, the Nanook Diversity and Action Center hosted a talk and comedy hour with Hayden Kristal on LGBTQ-related American Sign Language, and fostered a group discussion about deaf culture, intersectionality, accessibility and more. You can watch their presentation here.

There are accessible resources through UAF Student Disability Services, the UAF Department of Equity and Compliance, and the Statewide Office of Human Resources.

The UAF event accessibility toolkit (PDF) provides guidance and checklists for event accessibility, as well as effective and respectful communication.

Accessible ways to report barriers and request accommodation

Statewide committee on effective and appropriate use of transcription and live captioning services

Initiatives such as the IDEA Task Force to assess accessibility needs

Strategic planning that includes making systemic change and increasing accessibility to academics, programs and the workplace. The UAF ADA Transition Plan is a crucial part of the strategic plan.

Initiatives by eCampus to increase access to online courses through teaching tips for faculty.

To follow observances and events at UAF, check out NDAC and Equity and Compliance on Facebook or refer to Nanook Engage .

At UAF, everyone belongs! If you are interested in partnering with others to move accessibility efforts forward, please contact Margo Griffith, ADA/504 and Title IX coordinator and the executive director of the Department of Equity and Compliance, at uaf-DEO@alaska.edu .