Saratoga Celebrates Anniversary of Americans With Disabilities Act Signing, Aim Services
SARATOGA SPRINGS – State representatives and local leaders alike gathered to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act, and the work of AIM Services at the Garden Tent at the Adelphi Hotel on July 27.
The Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, was signed into law on July 26, 1990 by Pres. George H.W. Bush and prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, and gives civil rights protections to those individuals – similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion.
“The ADA is a dramatic renewal not only for those with disabilities but for all of us,” June MacClelland, senior director and chief compliance officer of AIM Services, Inc., told the crowd assembled for the gathering. This historic act was the world’s first comprehensive declaration of equality for people with disabilities.
A table adjacent to the speaker’s podium displayed a handful of signed citations, proclamations and certificates marking the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and recognizing the work by AIM Services. Formed in 1979, the non-profit organization provides residential and community-based services to people with physical and intellectual disabilities, including those with traumatic brain injuries and those who are
looking for nursing home transition or diversion.
“It has become one of the largest agencies providing support and services to individuals with diverse abilities in upstate New York,” MacClelland said, adding that the goal is in “supporting people in reaching their own personal goals and their own personal dreams.” One-third of all families in the United States are impacted by disability, according to the organization.
“We as a city and as a community have done so much, but we still share the responsibility to eliminate all barriers – physical, emotional, health-related and spiritual, to ensure all of us have the opportunity to live as enriched members of our own community,” MacClelland said. “AIM Services is committed to this challenge and it is a challenge every single day.” The event launched the organization’s weeklong “Croquet Off the Green” – a reimagined fundraising activity to comply with the realities and rules of the COVID19 pandemic runs through Aug. 2 and secured the participation of more than 30 Saratoga Springs businesses. For more information about those activities, go to: aimservicesinc.org/events/croquet/.