[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 104 (Wednesday, July 27, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1612]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          15TH ANNIVERSARY OF AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

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                        HON. BENJAMIN L. CARDIN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 26, 2005

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, today we celebrate the 15th anniversary of 
the signing of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA 
extended landmark civil rights protections to an estimated 43 million 
disabled Americans, which is roughly 1 out of every 7 Americans. It 
established a comprehensive prohibition of discrimination on the basis 
of disability in the areas of employment, public services, 
transportation, and telecommunications.
  The ADA seeks to guarantee that every American should have the right 
to live independently and fully participate in all aspects of our 
society. The ADA has had its greatest successes in improving physical 
accessibility, transportation and communications. The ADA has also 
begun to change society's attitudes toward people with disabilities.
  Despite this impressive progress, the promise of the ADA 
unfortunately remains unfilled for too many disabled Americans. In the 
area of employment, for example, today only 35 percent of people of 
working age who have a disability are employed, compared to 78 percent 
of people without disabilities. Federal courts have also issued rulings 
interpreting the ADA whereby individuals may be considered too disabled 
by an employer to get a job, but not disabled enough by the courts to 
be protected by the ADA. This violates the spirit and intent of the 
ADA, which was designed to protect employees from discrimination based 
on real or perceived impairment. Congress should take action to correct 
these court decisions and strengthen the ADA.
  As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, I was pleased that 
in 1999 Congress enacted the Ticket to Work Act, which provides 
Americans receiving disability benefits with greater access to 
vocational rehabilitation services. This initiative provides tickets to 
recipients of both Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and 
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) that can be used to purchase 
rehabilitation, employment and other supportive services designed to 
help them secure and maintain a job. Payments to providers of these 
services are based on the success individuals using the tickets have in 
overcoming barriers and ultimately in becoming employed.
  The Ticket to Work Act also created state options to eliminate the 
dilemma faced by many individuals receiving disability benefits--
choosing between work and health insurance coverage. The Ticket to Work 
Act allows States to adopt a Medicaid ``buy-in'' program to permit 
individuals to maintain Medicaid coverage while still working. Finally, 
the measure extended Medicare Part A coverage to working SSDI 
beneficiaries for a total of 8\1/2\ years--4 years beyond the coverage 
previously provided by Medicare.
  As our Nation celebrates the 15th anniversary of the ADA, let us 
rededicate ourselves to carry out the commitment of that historic 
legislation.

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