Bloomington, Indiana – Thirty six years after a landmark civil rights law changed expectations for access across the country, Bloomington is preparing to mark the anniversary not with speeches alone, but with a morning built around connection, practical help and community participation.
On Saturday, August 1, Fernandez Plaza will become a gathering place for residents, families, advocates and local groups working to make Bloomington easier to navigate and more inclusive for people with disabilities.
The City of Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility will host the ADA anniversary celebration from 9 a.m. to noon outside City Hall at 401 N. Morton Street. The event will run alongside the Farmer’s Market, giving visitors a chance to stop by while already spending time downtown. If rain moves in, activities will shift indoors to the City Hall Atrium.
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The celebration will focus on the everyday meaning of accessibility. Local organizations will share information about services, support programs, transportation, public resources and peer led opportunities available to residents with disabilities. Visitors can expect informational booths, resource displays, hands on activities, games, prizes and cookies.
A broad mix of community partners is scheduled to take part. Participants include the Bloomington and Monroe County Human Rights Commission, Bloomington Transit, the City of Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility and the City’s Planning and Transportation Department.
Other organizations joining the event are Down Syndrome Family Connection, DSI Services, the Indiana University Institute on Disability and Community, the Mobility Aids Lending Library, Monroe County Public Library, the Southern Indiana Center for Independent Living, Special Olympics and Stone Belt.
Their presence gives the morning a practical purpose. Residents will be able to learn about programs in one place, ask questions directly and connect with groups that work on disability rights, mobility, independent living, recreation and community support.
The anniversary also reflects a long local history. Bloomington’s Council for Community Accessibility was created in 1990, the same year the Americans with Disabilities Act became federal law. The volunteer group advises the City on accessibility, provides community input and supports efforts designed to improve access to public spaces and services.
The ADA is a civil rights law that protects equal access for people with disabilities in employment, education, public places and services available to the public. More than three decades later, the Bloomington event will place that mission in a local setting, where accessibility can be discussed, demonstrated and strengthened through direct community involvement.
More information about the Council for Community Accessibility is available at bloomington.in.gov/cca. Residents may also contact Special Projects Coordinator Michael Shermis at [email protected] or 812-349-3478.
