The Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities
mn.gov/disability-mn
Providing information, education, and training to build knowledge, develop skills, and change attitudes that will lead to increased independence, productivity, self determination, integration and inclusion (IPSII) for people with developmental disabilities and their families.

Statewide Celebration on July 26 Commemorates 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

Minnesotans of all abilities from across the state are invited to the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on Monday, July 26, from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the Nicollet Island Pavilion, 40 Power St., Minneapolis.  The event is free and open to the public.

The ADA was signed into law on July 26, 1990.   The 20th Anniversary Celebration will spotlight increased opportunities experienced by people with disabilities. 

The celebration will feature:

  • Minnesota native Josh Blue, 2006 winner of NBC's "Last Comic Standing," who defies stereotypes about disability in his stand-up comedy act.
  • Former U.S. Sen. David Durenberger, who represented Minnesota from 1978 to 1995 and has been a national expert in health policy for three decades.
  • U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who will present a video message.
  • Peter Berg, project coordinator for technical assistance and employer outreach with DBTAC - Great Lakes ADA Center, Chicago.
  • American Sign Language (ASL) storyteller Nic Zapko.
  • Exhibits, food and other festivities.

To encourage greater statewide participation, limited transportation reimbursement scholarships will be available to Minnesotans with disabilities living outside the seven-county Twin Cities area (Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington counties).  To arrange transportation reimbursement scholarships, call the Minnesota State Council on Disability at 1-800-945-8913 (V/TTY) by July 19 and ask for Sarah.

Other accommodations for people with disabilities will include ASL services; CART services (Communications Access Realtime Translation); limited PCA (personal care assistance) services; and audio descriptors. Those who need additional accommodations must make their request by July 5 by calling:

  • (651) 603-2015 (Twin Cities)
  • (888) 630-9793 (Toll-Free)
  • (888) 206-6513 (TTY) or
  • (866) 635-0082 (VP)

Event sponsors are ADA Minnesota, Courage Center, DBTAC-Great Lakes ADA Center, Minnesota Department of Transportation, Pathways to Employment and the Statewide Independent Living Council.

For more information on the ADA 20th Anniversary Celebration, call Cindy Tarshish, ADA 20th Anniversary Celebration Committee Chair, at (888) 630-9793 (toll-free) or e-mail cindyt@mcil-mn.org.

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©2025 The Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities
Administration Building   50 Sherburne Avenue   Room G10
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155
Phone: 651-296-4018   Toll-free number: 877-348-0505   MN Relay Service: 800-627-3529 OR 711
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The GCDD is funded under the provisions of P.L. 106-402. The federal law also provides funding to the Minnesota Disability Law Center, the state Protection and Advocacy System, and to the Institute on Community Integration, the state University Center for Excellence. The Minnesota network of programs works to increase the IPSII of people with developmental disabilities and families into community life.

This project was supported, in part by grant number 2401MNSCDD, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.

This website is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $1,152,808.00 funded by ACL/HHS and $222,000.00 funded by non-federal-government source(s). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.