[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 104 (Wednesday, July 27, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1607]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          15TH ANNIVERSARY OF AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           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.

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