Today marks the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a landmark federal bill that extended basic civil rights protections to people with disabilities. In Illinois, the anniversary is a solemn one: As a result of the state's budget crisis, the Department of Human Services will undergo $310 million in cuts, likely starving many non-Medicaid funded community mental health and disability services. An estimated 70,000 people with mental illness -- who are also protected by the ADA -- could lose their state-subsidized services in coming months.

Some birthday present ...