InnovAge joins our country in celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The landmark civil rights law prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in all areas of public life.
Making sure people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else is vitally important to InnovAge. It is an essential element of our inclusive culture. It is also deeply embedded in our work to expand access to care for the elderly and seniors with disabilities who want to stay in their homes and communities.
InnovAge has been fortunate to have board members who make support for disability rights a significant part of their life's work.
- Recent board member Peter Thomas, who has personal experience with disability, co-authored a book about the ADA called "Complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act: A Guidebook for Management and People with Disabilities." Peter is a strong and effective advocate for disability rights and policy in his work as an attorney and with several nonprofit organizations.
- Current board member, Ted Kennedy, Jr. is a lifelong advocate for people with disabilities. At the age of 12, he lost a leg to bone cancer. He has worked tirelessly to transform business practices and government policy as a state senator, healthcare attorney, keynote speaker, and nonprofit board member. In 1990, he worked with the bipartisan coalition of organizations that fought for the passage of the ADA, which was introduced in the US Senate by his father, Sen. Edward Kennedy. Ted currently serves as Board Chair of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), one of the nation's leading civil rights and public policy organizations dedicated to social reform and equal rights for persons with disabilities.
Much has been accomplished through the ADA. However, there is still work to be done to remove barriers to equal participation in public life for those with disabilities. InnovAge is proud to stand with our board members and the disability community in increasing accessibility and inclusivity for all. Thank you for your support of this important work on behalf of our colleagues and participants.