It’s time for our second First Monday Giveaway! Only, when you’ve just moved and you’re still trying to figure out which boxes hold the basics such as shampoo, paper towels, and dark chocolate (just kidding – that was lovingly carried in my car so as to prevent unnecessary melting), the First Monday Giveaway quickly becomes the Second Monday Giveaway. Nonetheless, it’s a giveaway – FREE STUFF – so let’s get to it!
Who We’re Featuring
As I’ve shared in the past, this prayer/prayer bead ministry is not my only gig. I also spend part of my days working amongst the Disability Rights Movement. I help coordinate an organization called The ADA Legacy Project. Among many things we have been coordinating a national effort to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) this July 26th. Hundreds of events are being planned around the country as well as in Washington DC. I encourage you to check for ADA25 plans in your local communities and join us in honoring this historic civil rights legislation! 
I work on the Project with my good friend, Mark Johnson. If that name is familiar to you it’s because I’ve talked about him recently. He and I worked together to publish his memoir, I Love Today: A Story of Transformation, just released a few months ago. In it, Mark tells how he became paralyzed after a diving accident when he was 19. Following the injury, he noticed how people treated him differently and struggled with access to buildings, transportation, etc. He began to take these injustices personally and cofounded a group called ADAPT, which, in 1983, began fighting for accessible public transportation throughout the country. The book follows Mark and others in the Disability Rights Movement leading up to the ADA’s passage in 1990. It also shares his deep faith and thoughts on how we are called to love others, even those we perceive as being “different.” (And who among us is not “different” in some way? Indeed, it’s our differences that make the world a much more vibrant and interesting place).
What We’re Giving Away
In honor of ADA25 I want to give away a signed copy of I Love Today.
How to Enter the Giveaway
1. Google “ADA25” and your local community or state.
2. Find out what’s going on in your area.
3. In the comments below, post any events or cool things that may be going on in your area – or anything you yourself might be doing – to celebrate ADA25.
4. Do this by Friday, July 17, 2015. We will collect the names of everyone who posts a comment, enter them into a drawing, and randomly choose a winner. We will announce the winner here and on our Facebook page next Monday, July 20th.
Happy ADA25!
Checking out the ADA25 website is exciting. I am a very active United Methodist Woman, and we have been teaching a mission/social action study throughout the past year and will continue throughout 2016 that is focused on making our churches away of folks with disabilities. This fits right in with the ADA25 celebration activities and awareness!
Last year the ADA Legacy Tour was kicked off in Houston (my area) for a year long journey around the US to educate people on its history. That tour ends in Washington DC this year on July 26th. It was led by Lex Frieden who is also local to Houston and one of the chief architects of the Act. The traveling exhibit is designed to raise awareness and generate excitement for ADA 25. And make people aware there is still need for more action on behalf of those with disabilities.
Join Us In Commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the Signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act
Location:
James R. Thompson Center
100 West Randolph Street, Chicago
(Between Lake and Randolph & Clark and LaSalle Streets)
Date and Time:
July 21, 2015
10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
http://search.tallahassee.com/files/events/images/96151/lightbox_adainvitation.jpg
The above link is a copy of a flyer for a free celebration in Tallahassee on July 24. It’s a half day event with a march to city hall, a cake and lunch.
Unfortunately I didn’t find anything happening in Pensacola, FL or Milton, FL — the two cities nearby.
All I found were placed to sign pledges for ADA. I will continue searching. Something else should be happening
The only thing I found was the ADA25 Legacy parade that was June 13.