Honoring a Legacy of Access
July 26 marks the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)—the landmark civil rights law that changed the lives of millions of people in the United States. Signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H.W. Bush, this groundbreaking legislation prohibits discrimination based on disability and mandates accessibility in workplaces, transportation, public spaces and more.
Four months earlier in March, a group of passionate activists with physical disabilities, including many in wheelchairs, crawled up the steps of the U.S. Capitol. Shown in the powerful image above, that historic “Capitol Crawl” dramatically brought the disability rights movement onto the public stage and accelerated the ADA’s passage.
For the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), this event also symbolized our own role in the movement: fighting to ensure people with hearing loss would not be left out.
HLAA’s Impact: Adding Communication Access to the ADA
At the time the ADA was being debated, barriers of the physical world were the initial focus. So sensory disabilities like hearing loss were not always front-and-center in public conversations. Curb cuts and wheelchair ramps were visible markers of change—but what about captions, transcripts, hearing loops and American Sign Language (ASL)? A dedicated group of advocates, including HLAA Founder Howard “Rocky” Stone, recognized this gap and acted.
HLAA Founder Rocky Stone
Rocky had founded HLAA 11 years earlier, in 1979, originally named Self-Help for the Hard of Hearing (SHHH). As a prominent voice in Washington, D.C., he was invited to serve on the Access Board that wrote the ADA regulations guiding communications for people with hearing loss, along with leaders in the community of people who identified as Deaf.
His powerful advocacy helped ensure that communication access was incorporated into the final ADA legislation. The law recognized the need for “reasonable accommodations” for people with hearing loss, and that paved the way for access to a range of hearing assistive technology options beyond ASL interpretation, such as:
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Captioning in a wide range of environments and technologies
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Assistive listening systems (like hearing loops and now Auracast)
- Amplified, captioned and hearing aid compatible telephones
- Written materials and transcripts
- Visual and tactile alarms
This breakthrough meant that hearing loss—though often invisible—was finally visible in the eyes of the law.
Why the ADA Still Matters
President George H.W. Bush signs the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law, July 26, 1990.
For people with hearing loss, the fight for access didn’t end on July 26, 1990—it was just beginning. Many public places still do not offer effective communication access, or accommodations are limited to ASL, which is only used by 2.8 percent of adults with hearing loss.
Decades later, the ADA continues to evolve. Technology has changed and expectations have grown—but so have the challenges. New advances often do not consider accessibility and have had to be forcibly retrofitted to accommodate people with disabilities. Over the past 35 years, HLAA has kept fighting for ADA rights by demanding accessibility as the starting point for technological innovation.
Today, our nationwide community continues to fight for the rights of 50 million Americans with hearing loss, advocating for expanded accessibility options—along with affordable hearing health care and treatment options—at the federal and local level:
Join Us in Honoring—and Continuing—the Work
The ADA’s anniversary isn’t just a date on the calendar—it’s a reminder that inclusion must include communication access. Accessibility and equity is something our community fights for 365 days a year. HLAA is proud of our history in shaping this legislation, among others—and we’re committed to making sure its promise is fulfilled.
This month and all year round, we invite you to:
Let’s keep fighting for access—together!
Today, our nationwide community continues to fight for the rights of 50 million Americans with hearing loss, advocating for expanded accessibility options—along with affordable hearing health care and treatment options—at the federal and local level:
