[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]




      THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

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                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 26, 2005

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise as 
we celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the passage of the Americans 
with Disabilities Act.
  Most Americans take for granted the ability to enter a restaurant, 
speak on the telephone, or apply for a job without fear of 
discrimination. But until the passage of the ADA, tens of millions of 
Americans with disabilities were denied these basic rights. Over the 
past decade and a half, the ADA has enabled people with disabilities to 
realize more fully their place in American society.
  But the promise of the ADA remains unfulfilled. Only about one-third 
of people with disabilities are employed, and those with disabilities 
are three times more likely to live in poverty.
  If we are to honor our commitment to equal rights, we must work 
tirelessly to open society and the workplace to all Americans. To that 
end, I sponsored legislation to fully fund the Individuals with 
Disabilities in Education Act and recently introduced the Federal 
Employees with Disabilities Protection Act.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud of what the ADA has accomplished so far. I 
encourage my colleagues to join me in working to honor its promise for 
all Americans.

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