by Janet Reno and Dick Thornburgh

About the authors: Janet Reno is the attorney general of the United States under the Clinton administration. Dick Thornburgh was the U.S. attorney general under the Bush administration.

Today [July 26, 1995], America celebrates the fifth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the ADA. It is a good time to step back and examine a record of substantial achievement. Already, barriers to the full participation of people with disabilities are coming down—in grocery stores, restaurants, and hotels, in government buildings, banks and movie theaters.

Brightening a Bleak Picture

In 1990, before the ADA became law, people with disabilities often could not get a job, ride a city bus, or go to a restaurant or store. These barriers imposed staggering costs on the country. In signing the ADA, President...