Ahead of the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass joined Council member Imelda Padilla, International Paralympic Committee Chief Paralympic Games Officer Colleen Wrenn, LA28 Chief Executive Officer Reynold Hoover, Paralympic athletes, and community leaders to highlight the City’s preparations for the 2028 Paralympic Games.
At the event, the City announced several initiatives aimed at promoting accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities. These include signing an official Games Host City Accessibility Commitment, developing and implementing a Games Accessibility Plan, and appointing the City’s first Accessibility Chief within the Office of Major Events. In partnership with the Braille Institute, the City’s Department on Disability has also introduced Braille translations for the Olympic and Paralympic flag display at City Hall.
The initiatives are designed to align with the goals of the ADA, a federal civil rights law signed on July 26, 1990, which prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in public life, including employment, education, transportation, and access to public and private spaces.
During the event, Mayor Bass stated that the City is working across departments and with private partners to ensure the accessibility of all Games-related services, facilities, and information. Councilmember Padilla, who introduced the motion to develop the Accessibility Plan, emphasized the importance of integrating accessibility into the planning process.
International Paralympic Committee official Colleen Wrenn noted that the efforts in Los Angeles could advance the goals of the ADA beyond sport, and LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover referenced the organizing committee’s move to include a new sport in the 2028 Paralympic program, making it the largest in Paralympic history.
Scott Blanks of the Braille Institute, along with other city officials including Stephen David Simon of the Department on Disability and Akiko Tagawa of the Commission on Disability, also spoke at the event, reflecting on the significance of the anniversary and the opportunity to further disability inclusion in Los Angeles.
The announcement took place at the LA84/John C. Argue Swim Stadium, a venue originally constructed for the 1932 Olympic Games and later renovated to improve accessibility following the 1984 Olympics and the passage of the ADA. The facility currently offers adaptive swimming classes through the PlayLA program, which has surpassed one million enrollments.
The City of Los Angeles has stated its intention to host an accessible and inclusive Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028, with a focus on ensuring long-term benefits for residents with disabilities.
