BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — On July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law, which leveled the playing field for people living with disabilities to participate in public life.
"We're talking about transportation, we're talking about employment, we're talking about working with government, we're talking about working with private business, we're talking about communicating and deaf people needing sign language and blind people getting descriptive video," Western New York Independent Living Inc. Chief Police Officer, Todd Vaarwerk told me.
Vaarwerk has been an advocate with the agency for 31 years. He lives with a developmental disability, born with cerebral palsy.
"While I was in crutches most of my youth when I was in college, the physical demands of needing to move around kind of snapped the bound of my stamina. I have been using a wheelchair ever since," Vaarwerk said. "I was thinking I was doing alright and then one day I fell asleep during a Beginning of Philosophy class and they couldn't wake me up. I got clinically exhausted. I needed to get medical treatment and they turned around and told me that you're walking too much."
Vaarwerk said there is so much more work that needs to be done for the disabled community, and it is important for the community to be celebrated.
"What I want people to know is that disability is a part of life. It isn't a part to be feared," Vaarwerk shared.
According to the CDC, disabilities are more common among adults 65 years of age and older. About 2 in 5 adults in this age group live with a disability.
"Think about your moms, your dads, and your grandparents," he said. "They age into disability and we want to keep them at home and in the community so that they're there for you when you need them."
Disability is a factor in his life but it does not control him.
"Every year, I go to a convention in Atlanta called DragonCon," Vaarwerk said. "I am one of the guys that does the disability services. I get to hang out with my people. My disability doesn't stop me from doing that."
If you have people living with disabilities in your life and you want to celebrate them, there is a Disability Pride Festival on Friday, July 26 at Canalside. The celebration is from 2 p.m.-6 p.m. on the lawn.
The main stage will feature music, dance and poetry, as well as plenty of organizations providing information on services for those with an intellectual or developmental disability.
