The ADA is hailed as a historic civil rights milestone. For the first time, it formally recognized disabled people as a protected class, banned discrimination, and mandated reasonable accommodations in public life. It reshaped the built environment—adding curb cuts, closed captioning, ramps — and created a legal vocabulary to describe exclusion.

But the ADA was limited from the start. Enforcement depends on individuals filing lawsuits. Many private entities are exempt. Digital accessibility remains poorly regulated. And deeper systems — healthcare, housing, benefits — were never meaningfully addressed. As a disabled adult, I’ve had to fight to access basic services, find jobs, and navigate public life, all while watching the federal agencies tasked with protecting my rights slowly fall apart.