Commemorating the 15th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

COMMEMORATING THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT -- (Extensions of Remarks - July 27, 2005)

SPEECH OF
HON. MAJOR R. OWENS
OF NEW YORK
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
TUESDAY, JULY 26, 2005

Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) profoundly improved the lives of approximately 54 million people with disabilities. Before the ADA, employers routinely denied promotions and jobs to individuals based not on skill, but on discriminatory stereotypes about disabilities. The lack of accommodations in the workplace shut people with disabilities out of the job force, resulting in astounding poverty rates. People with disabilities did not even have the legal tools to fight back because no law recognized their grievances.

On July 26, 1990, George H.W. Bush signed the ADA, transforming America into a more accessible country. The ADA gave people with disabilities the right to be accommodated in the workplace, a fair grievance process for discrimination suits, equal access to public services, transportation and telecommunications. People with disabilities are no longer unnecessarily shut away; they have the ability to counteract discriminatory practices and have a fair chance to become productive members of society.

I enthusiastically support the Hoyer Resolution commemorating the 15th Anniversary of the ADA, the largest civil rights achievement since the Civil Rights Act of 1964. By celebrating and recognizing the 15th Anniversary of the ADA, Congress honors the United States' commitment to equality and justice. I hope that by recommitting Congress to the full enforcement and support of the ADA, all members will work harder to reduce the still-high unemployment rate among people with disabilities with the capacity to work. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution that recognizes the enormous potential impact of this untapped workforce in our global economy.

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