THIS July marks 35 years since the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act or ADA — a monumental civil rights law that promised equality, dignity, and access to millions of Americans with disabilities. When President George H.W. Bush signed the ADA into law in 1990, he reminded us that “ours will never be a truly prosperous nation until all within it prosper.” Thirty-six years later, that vision remains a work in progress.
Here in the Northern Mariana Islands, the struggle for equal access is still real. People with disabilities face barriers every single day — barriers to education, to employment, to transportation, to even being heard. These are not just physical obstacles. They are social, systemic, and deeply rooted in how we design our communities and how we prioritize (or neglect) inclusion.
At the Northern Marianas Protection & Advocacy Systems Inc., we see this firsthand. We work with individuals and families who are denied basic access to services simply because they use a wheelchair or rely on an American sign language interpreter. We speak with parents who tirelessly advocate for their child(ren)’s educational needs. We help job seekers with disabilities push through systems that weren’t built for them.
But we also see progress.
We see parents finding their voice and demanding better. We see public agencies starting to listen. We see young self-advocates rising up and claiming their space. And we’re proud to be a part of that.
That’s why this year, as part of our ADA anniversary efforts, NMPASI is hosting a special live episode of our podcast, Advocacy Amplified, on Thursday, July 31 at 2 p.m. We’ll be joined by representatives from the Commonwealth Office of Transit Authority to discuss accessible transportation in the CNMI — specifically Transit CNMI and the push to ensure our public transportation system works for everyone. The conversation will be streamed live on NMPASI’s Facebook Page and the NMI News Service Facebook Page, and we invite the entire community to tune in, learn, and engage.
The ADA was never just about buildings or buses. It was about equity. It was about changing how society sees and values people with disabilities. And that change starts with all of us.
As we mark 35 years of the ADA, let us not just celebrate progress — let us renew our commitment to the work ahead. Because access is not a privilege. It is a right.
