David Wooten Photo
Martha Childress, struck by a stray bullet almost two years ago while waiting on a taxi in Columbia, left her paralyzed. She told the audience how thankful she was for the ADA and GreenvilleCan.
David Wooten Photo
Left to right: Susan Psimer, Joy Easterling, Liz Snyder and Ann Simmons volunteered at the Meyer Center table.
David Wooten Photo
Ruben Alvarez, a self-advocate, addressed the crowd.
A poster defines the difficulty people with disabilities had in the past.
GreerToday.com
Hundreds of people with disabilities, parents, caregivers, and professionals gathered at Fluor Field in Greenville Friday to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Martha Childress, who was struck by a stray bullet almost two years ago while waiting on a taxi in Columbia, leaving her paralyzed, told the audience how thankful she was for the ADA and organizations like GreenvilleCan.
Now, Childress has to worry about where to park, how to access buildings, and if there's an elevator on site. "To anybody with a disability," Childress said, "these are huge hurdles in our lives.
"But we can do so much more. I hope after today, you all will want to inspire others and make a difference in our beloved town."
GreenvilleCan, a network of self-advocates, service providers, families, and community stakeholders working to make Greenville a better place for people disabilities, sponsored the event, which featured the ADA Legacy Tour bus and a resource fair.
Alisa Bentley, the Area Coordinator of Family Connections, said that the goal of attending the event is to show that the agency is part of the bigger picture in the community.
“We’re just one small group that really works together with GreenvilleCan, and specifically with families making sure they feel included and know they’re not alone,” Bentley said.
ADA gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities.
The event celebrated how far the community has come in implementing the ADA, but it brought attention to how much more still needs to be done to fully implement this civil rights legislation that was signed into law.
"I am not a disabled person. I am a person with disabilities," Ruben Alvarez, a self-advocate, said. "I'm a son, a brother, a husband, a father and a friend. There is so much more to me than just what people see. For too long, we've been invisible. We can do more to make Greenville a model of hope for people with disabilities."
• About the author: Kim Wooten, 25, was born with Cerebral Palsy, which is a condition that affects her muscles and muscle control. She graduated cum laude in 2010 from North Greenville University with a B.A. in Business Administration. Wooten is married and has a 3-year old daughter.