1966 MICHIGAN BARRIER-FREE DESIGN LAW (P.A.1) enacted, setting accessibility standards for the built environment. One of the first such laws in the nation, the Michigan Barrier-Free Design Code covers a variety of business, educational and residential facilities.

1976 MICHIGAN HANDICAPPERS' CIVIL RIGHT ACT enacted to protect persons with disabilities against discrimination in employment, housing, education and places of public accommodation.

1986 STATE SUPREME COURT issues ruling that sets back disability civil rights law, ruling that reasonable accommodations by employers are not required if an employee with a disability needs an accommodation to perform job. Legislation to remedy the high court decision and restore original intent of the State Legislature was introduced, but would not pass for four years.

1988 INVESTING IN ABILITY WEEK created to promote the employment of people with disabilities by encouraging employers to focus on the abilities of individuals, rather than on disabilities. The annual week-long observance each fall has featured a variety of central activities as well as local activities in communities throughout the state.

1989 GOVERNOR'S EMPLOYER HONOR ROLL established as part of Investing in Ability Week to recognize employers who were demonstrating that employing persons with disabilities is not a matter of charity or simply good corporate citizenship, but rather a sound business practice that's good for the bottom line.

1989 ABILITY ACTION LINE established by the Michigan Commission on Handicapper Concerns to provide a single-access point for information and referral service on a wide range of disabilities issues. The statewide, toll-free line was accessed by persons with disabilities, families, businesses and the general public by calling 1-800-SAY-ABLE(voice or TTY). This number was discontinued in 1997 and a new toll free number reinstated in 2000.

1990 MICHIGAN HANDICAPPERS' CIVIL RIGHT ACT amended to restore the original legislative intent, remedying the damaging 1986 ruling by the Michigan Supreme Court. The newly amended law, which was enacted one month before President Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law, covers every employer in the state with at least one employee, giving people with disabilities in Michigan the strongest civil rights protections of any state in the country.

1991 BUILDING BRIDGES WITH THE ADA was the theme of a special business-disability partnership formed to inform employers and the business community about the requirements of the ADA and the Michigan Handicappers' Civil Rights Act. Several business and disability organization joined forces to plan, coordinate and conduct trainings throughout Michigan on the new state and federal laws.

1991 THE ADA STATE IMPLEMENTATION TASK FORCE was formed by Governor John Engler to help oversee effective implementation of the ADA within The Executive Branch of State Government and served as a technical resource in the ADA implementation process.

1992 THE MICHIGAN ADA STEERING COMMITTEE was formed as part of a six-state regional project to promote effective ADA implementation. The committee, which is comprised of numerous business and disability organizations, has established a statewide network of over 200 persons who have been trained on the ADA to provide informal technical assistance to covered entities in Michigan. The committee has also conducted dozens of ADA workshops and seminars targeted to the business community.

1993 THE ADA-WORKERS COMP CONNECTION was the theme of a series of trainings conducted by the Michigan ADA Steering Committee. The training was targeted to the business community to demonstrate how effective implementation of the ADA can effectively reduce an employers workers compensation costs.

1994 A STATEWIDE MEDIATION NETWORK was established by the Michigan ADA Steering Committee to help resolve ADA disputes in an expeditious manner that avoids the time consuming formal complaint process or costly litigation. Working with the Community Dispute Resolution Program, 55 mediators from 24 Community Dispute Resolution Centers throughout the state were trained on the ADA to prepare them for participation in a statewide mediation project. Persons interested in resolving ADA disputes through mediation can call 1-800-845-5812 for intake and referral to the Community Dispute Resolution Center nearest them.

1995 MICHIGAN'S BUSINESS LEADERSHIP NETWORK was established after the state was selected as one of nine states in the nation by the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities to pilot the project. The BLN is comprised of 26 Michigan business leaders who are demonstrating that employing people with disabilities makes good business sense and that complying with the ADA can effectively broaden their customer base. Network members are committed to spreading the good news about the ADA to other businesses in their communities.

1996 THE PRESIDENT'S COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ANNUAL CONFERENCE was hosted by the Commission. President Clinton was connected to the conference via interactive video conferencing and answered questions from the audience. There were over 2,000 attendees at the three-day event in Detroit.

1997 EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY WORKSHOPS were developed as people with disabilities were exempted from participating in the work programs that TANF recipients have been offered in making the transition from welfare to work. This workshop is a collaborative effort between MCDC and several state and private disability agencies as a way to assist people with disabilities in their search for employment by enabling them to contact employment supports in their communities.

1998 LANGUAGE CHANGE was enacted to all of Michigan's laws that referenced the word "handicapper" to be changed to "persons with disabilities."

2000 THE FIRST MICHIGAN YOUTH LEADERSHIP FORUM (MYLF) was held. The purpose of the MYLF is to provide career awareness and leadership development to assist young people with disabilities to reach their potential.

2001 THE PRESIDENT'S COMMITTEE ON THE EMPLOYMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES became the Office of Disability Employment Policy in the U.S. Department of Labor.