Road to Freedom
In the February of 2007 the
Mississippi Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities, its members, and
partners served as state host to the ADA Road to Freedom Tour which came
to Mississippi’s Capitol for three days.
·
A welcoming event was held at
the Mississippi Capitol with a press conference, introduction of the
Road to Freedom Tour on the Senate and House floors.
·
Don’t dis My abilities
Concert at Millsap’s College
·
Testimonials night at Wells
Memorial Methodist Church
·
ADA Awareness Day at Madison
Central High School
The Road to Freedom Tour was a national awareness
campaign inspired by the historic journey of Justin and Yoshiko Dart who
traveled across America to mobilize support for passage of the ADA in
1990. Sponsored by
ADA Watch, the year-long, cross-country bus journey launched from
Washington, DC on November 15th, 2006. Its mission was to engage
audiences across the United States by telling the story of the Americans
with Disabilities Act and the history of the disability rights movement.
The
Road to Freedom aimed to remind Americans of the promise of the ADA -
freedom, inclusion, and equal opportunities for children and adults with
physical, mental, cognitive and developmental disabilities. With the
powerful support of the Mississippi disability community, the tour
raised public interest in disability issues and encouraged public
officials to tackle issues such as employment, public accommodations,
housing, education, and transportation.
Among the exhibits featured were Tom Olin's
historical photographs of the struggle for disability rights that have
been displayed at the Smithsonian Institute. Exhibits also included a
narrative of the grassroots history of the ADA as written by Arlene
Mayerson of the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF).
This was an excellent opportunity to celebrate the
history of the ADA and the disability rights movement as well as learn
more about the movement's origins and how we can continue to advocate
for people with disabilities.