Inclusion Matters

A graduate of Santa Clara University (MA Education), Robert Fettgather is an associate faculty member at Mission College. Robert Fettgather has taught courses tackling general, developmental, and abnormal psychology. A disability rights advocate, Robert Fettgather helped start the Coalition for Elder and Dependent Adult rights.

Along with other social civil rights movements in the decade of the 1970's, a disability rights movement emerged. Some aspects coalesced into the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), passed in 1990...a landmark civil rights law. It was designed to make sure people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. Think of it like the law saying, “Hey, access matters.” It covers areas like employment, public services, transportation, and public accommodations. As a consequence, businesses and institutions are required to make reasonable changes so people aren’t excluded. Pretty straightforward idea, yet life-changing for so many.

Let's take a look at some basic provisions. The ADA prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in three key domains. Title I addresses employment, requiring employers to provide reasonable accommodations unless doing so would cause undue hardship. Title II applies to state and local governments, ensuring equal access to public programs and services. A third element, Title III, focuses on private businesses open to the public—restaurants, hotels, stores—making accessibility not optional but required. Every doorway and step evaluated for accessibility. It’s about fairness, but also about participation in the everyday life neurotypical folks masy take for granted.

At the same time, the ADA isn’t just legal language—it affects real, everyday experiences. Ramps, captions, accessible websites, service animals in stores… all of that connects back to this law. Some people still debate how far it should go, especially with newer tech, but the core idea hasn’t changed: inclusion matters. Not perfectly implemented, sure. But still essential in a just society.