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15th Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act

Date: July 27, 2005
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Senior Citizens Unemployed and Low-Income Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Entitlements and the Safety Net Health Insurance


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

SPEECH OF
HON. TAMMY BALDWIN
OF WISCONSIN
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
TUESDAY, JULY 26, 2005

Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, or the ADA. This landmark piece of legislation was the world's first comprehensive declaration of equality for people with disabilities, making it the most significant piece of civil rights legislation since the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

There is no doubt that the ADA has improved the lives of the 54 million Americans with disabilities, including 450,000 disabled adults in Wisconsin, and the evidence of this progress can be seen all around us. Thanks to the ADA, we have curb cuts, wheelchair lifts, Braille signs, accessible transit systems, and perhaps most important, the ADA has begun to change peoples' attitudes towards people with disabilities.

But as part of the recognition of the progress that has been made, it is important for us to remember why the ADA was needed in the first place. Prior to the ADA's passage, the isolation of and discrimination against people with disabilities was staggering. Many disabled Americans were not working, even though they wanted to have a job. Many did not finish high school, and many lived in poverty. The ADA established a comprehensive prohibition of discrimination on the basis of disability in the areas of employment, public accommodations, public services, transportation, and telecommunications.

So while I celebrate the ADA for the progress it has brought about, the fact remains that the promise of the ADA remains unfulfilled for far too many people. According to a 2004 survey done by the National Organization on Disability, only 35 percent of people with disabilities reported being employed full or part time; people with disabilities are three times more likely to live in poverty with household incomes below $15,000 than their non-disabled counterparts; and people with disabilities remain twice as likely to drop out of high school. And I fear that ongoing efforts to cut the Medicaid program and dismantle Social Security will threaten the wellbeing of many more people with disabilities.

I remain committed to the goals and promise of the ADA--equality and opportunity for all Americans, and I am delighted to reaffirm this commitment as we celebrate the ADA's 15th anniversary.

http://thomas.loc.gov

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