Timeline of the ADA in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County

Here’s a timeline providing highlights of efforts in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County to increase access and inclusion since the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted in 1990. These build on earlier initiatives to increase access to housing, polling places, etc.:

1991: Port Authority of Allegheny County obtains its first wheelchair accessible buses.

1994: City of Pittsburgh Allegheny County Task Force on Disabilities is founded. It’s a 13-member body that advises the city and county on issues that improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.

1997: Three Rivers Center for Independent Living files a lawsuit against the city for failure to comply with the ADA by not installing curb cuts on newly paved streets. The lawsuit was settled in 1999, with the city agreeing to a three-year time frame for installing curb cuts that should have been done since 1992.

2001: Allegheny County establishes Mental Health Court, which addresses issues related to people with mental health disabilities by placement in mental health services rather than incarceration when faced with nonviolent charges.

2001: PNC Park opens; it is still widely recognized as one of the most accessible major league facilities in the nation.

2003: Port Authority’s bus fleet becomes 100 percent wheelchair accessible.

2004: Urban League, Community College of Allegheny County, Three Rivers Center for Independent Living and the City of Pittsburgh are the first to sign pledges to employ people with disabilities.

2010: Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council begin efforts to improve accessibility and inclusion of individuals with disabilities in Pittsburgh’s arts and cultural community.

2011-12: Classy Cab introduces the first wheelchair-accesssible taxis in Allegheny County, followed by VETaxi with 40 wheelchair accessible taxis, Yellow Cab with 15 and Star Limousine with the area’s first wheelchair-accessible stretch limo.

2014: County Executive Rich Fitzgerald issues an executive order with goals and time frames for the County’s hiring of employees with disabilities.

2014: Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh undertakes systemwide assessment of accessibility.

2015: Allegheny County reports 11 universal design playgrounds and two spray parks.