Governor to Observe 20th Anniversary of Landmark Americans with Disabilities Act

Governor John P. de Jongh, Jr. will join members of his administration and special guests Monday to observe the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) at St. Croix's Kingshill School.

The event, to be held between 10 a.m. and noon, was organized by the governor's ADA office, and recently installed ADA Coordinator Stephanie Barnes.

Governor de Jongh will be joined by students participating in the ADA Vocational Summer Program and Dr. Yegin Habtes, Executive Director of the Virgin Islands University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities.

“The Americans with Disabilities Act empowered a large group of Americans to finally claim the rights they deserved. It opened the door for so many disabled Americans to employment opportunities and did so much to promote fairness in our society,” de Jongh said.

Monday's event will celebrate the 20-year-old law, and is an important opportunity to recognize Virgin Islands advocacy groups, non-profit organizations and government agencies that worked for many years to bring the Territory into full compliance with the ADA.

“Their voice was heard when the Governor appointed an ADA coordinator for the Territory,” Barnes said.

The Americans with Disabilities Act was landmark legislation when signed into law July 26, 1990 by President George H.W. Bush. The wide-ranging civil rights law prohibits discrimination based on disability.

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