Governor Stein Proclaims Americans with Disabilities Act Day

Americans with Disabilities Act Day

2026

By The Governor Of The State Of North Carolina

A Proclamation

Whereas, the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law on July 26, 1990, provided a clear and comprehensive mandate to eliminate discrimination and ensure the civil rights of people with disabilities; and 

Whereas, the passage of the ADA was a result of decades of advocacy by thousands of Americans who challenged the barriers that exclude people with disabilities from full participation and inclusion in community life; and 

Whereas, by prohibiting discrimination in all areas of public life, the ADA expands opportunities for the one in four people who are born with or will acquire a disability during their lifetime; and 

Whereas, in North Carolina, approximately 1.3 million people – or 13 percent of the state’s population – have a disability; and 

Whereas, despite progress since the passage of the ADA, people with disabilities in North Carolina continue to experience disparate outcomes in education and employment when compared to those without disabilities; and 

Whereas, the State of North Carolina renews its commitment to fulfilling the promise of the ADA and further efforts to increase access and opportunities for people with disabilities; and 

Whereas, Executive Order 35 established the NC Commission on Accessibility to examine matters that affect the accessibility of government services and information and recommend actions to improve access; and 

Whereas, we commemorate the ADA to celebrate the progress that has been made and to recognize that the work for equal access and inclusion is ongoing;

Now, Therefore, I, Josh Stein, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim July 26, 2026, as “Americans with Disabilities Act Day” in North Carolina and commend its observance to all residents.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina at the Capitol in Raleigh this twenty-third day of June in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-sixth and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth.