NEW YORK - Advocates for people with disabilities are both celebrating a landmark in the fight for civil rights and still waiting for its promise to be fully realized.

The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law 30 years ago, on July 26, 1990. It was the world's first declaration of equality for people with disabilities.

And Susan Dooha, executive director of the Center for Independence of the Disabled New York, says it opened new doors for people with disabilities in transportation, housing accessibility, employment, education and public accommodations.

"People can do so many things that they hadn't been able to do before," says Dooha. "And now we have a whole new generation that has grown up with these protections in place."

But she adds that there is still a long way to go to achieve equality, especially in access to transportation and employment.

Dooha notes that despite the protections enumerated in the law and years of litigation over its implementation, people with disabilities still face widespread discrimination.

"In New York state, the employment rate for people with disabilities hovers around 30%," says Dooha. "And that's not because people are not able to work. It is because they cannot get hired."

She says the loss of jobs due to the COVID pandemic also came earlier and has been deeper for people with disabilities nationwide.

Dooha says actions still are needed to implement the law. Plans with timetables must be put in place, and people with disabilities must be brought to the table to ensure that the promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act becomes a reality.

"Removing the barriers that have resulted in the impoverishment of people with disabilities," says Dooha, "and the enormous stigma and exclusion that people with disabilities still experience."

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Advocates for people with disabilities in New York are pushing for the federal budget resolution to include $400 billion in Medicaid funding for home- and community-based services across the U.S. as part of the Better Care Better Jobs Act.

Heidi Siegfried, director of health policy at the Center for Independence of the Disabled New York (CIDNY), said the majority of people in the U.S. would prefer to get long-term care services at home. However, she pointed out in New York and across the country, the field has been drastically underfunded for a long time, and argued incorporating the Better Care Better Jobs Act would lead to better pay and health benefits and address the workforce shortage.

"To put $400 billion in Medicaid that will be targeted specifically to home- and community-based services, this would be a start to helping people with disabilities get the care they need, to stay out of nursing facilities, which have now been shown to be a deathtrap during the pandemic," Siegfried asserted.

The American Rescue Plan gives New York $2.1 billion in increased federal matching funds for Medicaid, but it only lasts one year.

Siegfried noted CIDNY would like to see better oversight and more transparency of the home and community care system, and be involved with creating the care systems themselves.

She added some long-term care companies often fail to authorize the number of hours of care that are necessary for people receiving services to live safely in their own homes. CIDNY workers helping individuals transition to home care report more people are being hospitalized as a result.

"We want people to be able to live independent and meaningful lives in the community," Siegfried explained. "And it's dependent on having adequate home care to be able to do that."

The budget resolution doesn't require a bipartisan agreement, and can pass through the U.S. Senate by a majority of 50 votes, with the vice president's vote to break a tie.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Move United's USA Wheelchair Football League is expanding from four cities to nine, including Tampa, to give athletes with disabilities a chance to compete against the best adaptive football players in the country.

Ryan Lindstrom, a Navy veteran and quadriplegic athlete, was attending technical school when he was partially paralyzed in a car crash. His recovery sparked a love for nearly every kind of wheelchair athletics, including wheelchair rugby.

He's competed at the highest levels, just shy of making the USA Rugby Olympic team, so Lindstrom said he could not miss a chance to try out for the new wheelchair football league.

"It's one of those new sports that's just coming out for us, so it's exciting to be in on the ground floor and get out there and try something different," Lindstrom explained. "And then, you know, the tryouts, I felt they went pretty good, we had a good time, we had a pretty decent turnout."

The expansion is funded in part by the National Football League and the Bob Woodruff Foundation. An additional tryout session will be held July 31 in Tampa. Then, all nine teams will compete this fall in the league's inaugural season.

Lindstrom encouraged everyone, especially people in wheelchairs, to be more active, compete and see what the body is capable of. Among other things, he's played rugby, basketball, softball, tried hand-cycling and archery, and now, football.

"It's a new sport for everybody, so we're all still learning the rules, still learning how it's all working out," Lindstrom noted. "Like, I've been going over the rulebook myself, just sitting here at the house and stuff, because you've got to figure out what rules change, what rules stay the same, for football."

The USA Wheelchair Football League was founded in 2019 with four teams; Chicago, Kansas City, Los Angeles and Phoenix. The expansion added Tampa, Birmingham, Buffalo, Cleveland and New Orleans.

According to Move United, the grant that made the expansion possible will also help grow the sport through coaching education and learn-to-play clinics.

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Iowa's government has 180 boards and commissions, with many consisting of appointed members, but advocates fear most don't include people with disabilities.

An emerging effort aims to get more of these voices to serve on public panels.

The Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council recently adopted its latest five-year plan, which outlines the organization's top goals. A new focus is increasing participation in local and state boards and commissions.

Brooke Lovelace, executive director of the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council, said there has not been much tracking of the issue. While there are some disability-specific panels, she contended the community should push to be part of decision-making in all areas.

"Boards and commissions that folks with disability should be applying for and serving on and something that's of interest to them," Lovelace outlined. "Whether that be economic development, the art council."

Lovelace argued not having influence can derail progress for the disability community, such as the recent election law adopted by Iowa. Among other things, it places restrictions on ballot drop boxes.

The council is having conversations with the governor's office, which appoints members, about increasing inclusion. There's also an online talent bank launched by the Human Rights Department in 2019, designed to encourage underserved Iowans to consider openings.

Monica Stone, deputy director of the Department, said the talent bank started shortly before the pandemic, so they have not been able to get a clear sense yet of how effective it is. But she added they are trying to increase awareness, noting a challenge is convincing those with disabilities they don't have to have a lengthy background in a specific area to be considered.

"I think sometimes people think you have to be something more special in order to put your name in the hat," Stone observed. "And the truth is, the people who serve on appointed boards and commissions are special because they choose to spend their time with public service, but they are everyday Iowans."

Similar efforts have occurred in states like Pennsylvania, which launched the Inclusive Leadership in Action project.

The Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council believes it is still an overlooked issue, and said the Hawkeye State could serve as a leader in gathering firm data while boosting recruitment.