The Great Lakes ADA Center Celebrates 36 Years of the ADA and 35 Years with the ADA National Network

The Great Lakes ADA Center Celebrates 35 Years of Promoting Voluntary Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act

July 26, 2026 marks the 36th Anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This comprehensive law bestowed civil rights protections on people with disabilities similar to the civil rights protections based on race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. The ADA guarantees equal opportunity for people with disabilities in employment, access to businesses, transportation and telecommunications as well as state and local government programs and services. This year, we celebrate over three and a half decades of ADA protections and the many milestones reached by the disability community thanks to this important law.

This year also marks the 35th Anniversary of the Great Lakes ADA Center as a member of the ADA National Network. The Great Lakes ADA Center is one of the 10 regional centers that make up the ADA National Network and serves six states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The goal of the Center is to increase ADA awareness and knowledge with the ultimate goal of promoting voluntary compliance with the law. This is accomplished through customized training, technical assistance, and ADA resources. While not an enforcement or regulatory agency themselves, the Great Lakes ADA Center serves a key role in promoting and supporting compliance under the ADA. The Center is used by businesses, architecture firms, employers, state and local governments as well as a broad range of disability partners and advocates throughout the Midwest.

As part of their mission, the Great Lakes ADA Center funds a network of State Affiliates within the region. The mission of the affiliates is to enhance and utilize local resources, training opportunities, technical assistance, and conferences to promote voluntary compliance with the ADA on the state and local level.

For more information about the Great Lakes ADA Center, please call 1-800-949-4232 (V/TTY), 312-413-1856 (Fax) or visit our website at http://www.adagreatlakes.org. You can also reach us via Text/SMS at 872-298-1019.