Greenwich Commemorates 35th Anniversary Of ADA: Our Work Is Far From Done

GREENWICH, CT — The Greenwich community gathered at the Cohen Eastern Greenwich Civic Center on Friday to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the message from town officials was clear: there's more work to be done when it comes to creating accessibility and inclusivity for all.

The ADA was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by the late President George H.W. Bush, a former Greenwich resident.

The law prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. The law makes sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.

First Selectman Fred Camillo issued a proclamation declaring July 26, 2025, as Americans with Disabilities Day in the town of Greenwich, and he urged all residents to join and recognize the progress that's been made in the area of accessibility over the years. Friday's event was emceed by Greenwich Department of Human Services Commissioner Demetria Nelson.

"The ADA has expanded opportunities for Americans with disabilities by reducing barriers, changing perceptions and increasing full participation in the community life," Camillo's proclamation says in part. "However, the full promise of the ADA will only be reached if we remain committed to continue our efforts to fully implement the ADA."

Camillo said supporting the ADA and implementing it around town was a goal of his when he was first elected as Greenwich's chief elected official in 2019.

Since 2020 in Greenwich, according to the town's Department of Public Works, 106 ADA ramps have been improved or installed, nine miles of sidewalk have been upgraded, and 10 percent of ADA compliance has been completed.

"Six years ago when I took office, one of the first things I said that night at the Greenwich Boys & Girls Club, was that everything we do in Greenwich, every project, will not only be ADA compliant, but it will be ADA inclusive, and we've held to that. It hasn't always been easy; not everybody agrees with some of the projects, but it's the law, it's not a choice. It's the law, and it's the right thing to do."

Alan Gunzburg, a longtime advocate for accessibility and a member of the Greenwich ADA & Advocacy Advisory Committee for People With Disabilities, spoke during Friday's event. He noted that before the ADA existed, people with disabilities were often denied basic access to education, jobs, housing and even the physical spaces of public life.

"We were excluded not because of our conditions, but because of barriers—architectural, systemic, and attitudinal. The ADA, passed in 1990, was a monumental civil rights achievement. It said clearly and unequivocally: disability rights are civil rights," Gunzburg said.

However, in the decades since the ADA was signed into law, Gunzburg said "there have been repeated efforts to narrow its protections."

"Court decisions in the late 1990s weakened the law by narrowing the definition of disability. It took the ADA Amendments Act of 2008—and the continued pressure of our community—to restore what Congress originally intended," Gunzburg said. "And as recently as a few years ago, bills were introduced to limit the public’s ability to enforce the ADA, shifting the burden back onto those already facing barriers."

Gunzburg said it's time to "recommit" to the mission of the ADA.

"The ADA was not the finish line—it was a foundation. And our work is far from done," he said, noting digital spaces "still leave many of us out," and inequities still remain in areas like health care, employment, transportation and housing.

"But 35 years later, one truth remains clear: we are here because we refused to be invisible. And we will keep showing up, speaking out, and breaking barriers—until accessibility, equity, and dignity are a reality for everyone," Gunzburg added.

The Cohen Eastern Greenwich Civic Center served as an appropriate background for Friday's event, as it's the latest and one of the biggest capital projects Greenwich has seen.

"Over the past few years, we've been expanding our ADA compliance, pedestrian crossings, public facilities across town, and this Cohen Eastern Greenwich Civic Center is a great example of what thoughtful design can achieve," Greenwich DPW Commissioner Jim Michel in brief remarks. "It's not just about compliance, but it's about ensuring that all members of the community can move through these public spaces with dignity and ease."

Patricia Troiano, the superintendent of recreation in Greenwich, said the Parks and Recreation Department is proud of the new civic center and what it means for the community.

"We are here to manage and provide spaces that are for everyone, whether it's an inclusive playground, a renovated recreation center, or a fully accessible athletic field, our goal is to create environments that bring people together," she said.