Recently, our Director of Communications & Technology, Tom Jedlowski, attended the annual Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Symposium. In honor of the 29th anniversary of the ADA on July 26, Tom's shared his takeaways from the symposium on disability employment. 

On July 26th, 1990 this country fundamentally changed. 

Evan Espey enjoys cheering at sporting events, spending time with his nieces and volunteering for political campaigns. He also plays on a basketball team that tours the Southeast United States, racing across the gym floors in a wheelchair alongside his teammates.

Born with Spina Bifida, Evan has become a self-advocate. He currently serves on the Tennessee Council of Developmental Disabilities, offering a unique point of view to vital conversation surrounding the supports and services of people with disabilities.

At one and a half years of age, Desean started to lose his hearing, but the diagnosis that he had hearing loss did not come until he was almost five. During this time, he made up his own language to communicate with his family. Because he was not diagnosed until later, he also lost out on tremendously important early intervention services that would have benefitted Desean as he began to move into his early school years. Tequilla, his mother, learned American Sign Language (ASL) through volunteering at Desean’s school, which in turn motivated her to go into healthcare leadership. 

At the age of two, Cyndi Leach contracted the polio virus and as a result, became paralyzed from the waist down. However, Cyndi does not remember anything other than living with the effects of polio. She views her disability as part of who she is and has always found alternative ways to approach her goals.

“I’ve never felt that my disability is tragic. I learned at a young age that I could do anything I wanted to do, I just had to figure out different way to do it,” said Cyndi.