As a brand that provides over 800 mobility and independent living products, NOVA was proud to celebrate ADA Awareness Day and Disability Pride Month in July! We’d like to take a few paragraphs to reflect on why ADA Awareness Day was so meaningful to us.
What is ADA Awareness Day?
ADA Awareness Day celebrates the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was signed into law on July 26, 1990. The law prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. The disabilities covered under the law include:
- Limited mobility (including use of a wheelchair, walker, or cane)
- Autism
- ADHD
- Deafness or hearing loss
- Blindness or low vision
- Muscular dystrophy
- Epilepsy
- Intellectual disabilities
- HIV
- Traumatic brain injury
- Cerebral palsy
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- PTSD
There are many other disabilities that are covered, too!
ADA Awareness Day celebrates this historic moment in the fight for disability rights, but it’s also a great opportunity to spread awareness.
This holiday gives us the opportunity to educate the public about the daily challenges facing people with disabilities, with the goal of teaching people the importance of making our society more accessible to people with disabilities, from public spaces to employment accommodations.
ADA Awareness Day also gives us the chance to spread Disability Pride. In other words, we can teach people with disabilities that they do not need to be ashamed of it, nor do they need to be ashamed about receiving special accommodations in the workplace and civic life. Rather, we believe they should be proud and empowered for their courage, grit and determination.
Your disability is part of who you are, and should not take away your sense of dignity!
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What Progress Have We Made?
Since it was passed 34 years ago, the Americans with Disabilities Act has improved the lives of disabled people in so many ways. There’s still much progress to be made, but here are a few ways that the ADA has made things better:
- Access to Spaces: It’s easier for people with disabilities to enter public buildings, hotels, restaurants, public transportation, and retail stores. The ADA spurred the creation and adoption of accessible entrances for these types of spaces.
- Education: People with disabilities can now receive special tools and accommodation in school so they’re just as capable of reaching academic success.
- Employment Opportunities: Employers cannot discriminate against employees with disabilities, and now provide resources that can assist disabled employees in their work.
- Inclusiveness: Disabled people can receive special accommodations in their everyday life, which includes everyday activities like parking or using a public restroom, and also in their civic duties, such as voting or dealing with government offices.
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Why There’s Still Progress to Be Made
For all the progress we’ve made, there’s still so much hard work to do if we’re going to create a more inclusive world. Let’s cover a few challenges that people with disabilities are still facing.
- Mobility Aid Stigmas: The United States has a large number of aging Americans. Despite this, mobility aids—such as canes, walkers, and rollators—still have a negative stigma, and this often keeps people from buying these products. That’s very unfortunate because mobility aids can make life so much safer and more comfortable.
- Web Accessibility: People with blindness, deafness, or hearing loss may have difficulty accessing certain types of digital technology, including websites and cell phones. Assistive tools can be extremely helpful, but only when our digital spaces are compatible with these tools.
- Attitudes: Unfortunately, negative attitudes about disabled persons still persist. They continue to face discrimination from businesses and individuals that don’t want to provide accommodations. Or, disabled persons are treated with condescension—for example, they experience “babying” in social groups or at work—and these attitudes take away the person’s dignity despite their good intentions. People with disabilities may need tools or accommodations to assist with their daily tasks, but most of them don’t want to be treated differently by their peers.
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How NOVA Empowers Progress
At NOVA, we strive to eliminate the stigma associated with mobility aids, in the hope that people with limited mobility will embrace these life-altering tools instead of avoiding them due to fear and shame.
We offer a diverse selection of canes, walkers, and rollators suited to all sorts of different lifestyles and ergonomic needs. We infuse our products with beautiful colors to make them feel less like home medical gear and more like fashion statements!
If you’re caring for someone with limited mobility, you can bring them to one of our partner pharmacies to “test drive” our walkers and rollators, which is the best way to find a perfect fit. Use our dealer locator to find a partner store in your area.
Are you a medical provider or an independent pharmacy? Learn more about our enveloping ecosystem of care.
