[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 104 (Wednesday, July 27, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1614]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 26, 2005

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the importance of the 
fifteenth anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities 
Act, the ADA. This legislation has played a vital role in ensuring that 
all Americans are granted the opportunity to fully participate in all 
aspects of society.
  With the bipartisan support of this body and the Senate, President 
George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act as a 
mechanism to ensure that ``every man, woman and child with a disability 
can now pass through once closed doors into a bright new era of 
equality, independence, and freedom.''
  Thanks to the ADA, we have taken significant steps towards the 
achievement of that goal. The Act required educational facilities to 
become accessible to those in wheelchairs, opening the doors to 
learning and opportunity for thousands of Americans. It ensured the 
availability of transit, entertainment, and communications systems to 
the hearing-impaired and the blind, guaranteeing them an opportunity to 
participate in cultural events, media events, and public engagements.
  The ADA has substantially moved this country forward in terms of our 
relationship with a group of Americans who had once been unfairly 
excluded for their physical abilities. We have taken important steps to 
increase the opportunities and lower the barriers to the equal and just 
treatment of all Americans. We have opened doors through the ADA for 
the full participation and contribution of individuals to our society.
  Despite the efforts of the last decade and a half, we still have 
further to go. We still have more work to do to assist our citizens 
with disabilities. Today, approximately two-thirds of people with 
disabilities of working age are still unemployed. While many factors 
influence the high rate of unemployment for the disabled, a third of 
non-workers with disabilities reported their need for some type of 
accommodation as a major factor in their unemployment. An interesting 
aspect of this is their requests are minor accommodations-- elevators, 
closer accessible parking, and special worksite features modifications 
that are not particularly expensive to make, especially with advance 
planning.

  Likewise, proposed cuts in housing, assistance technology, training, 
and other assistance programs threaten to undo many of the advances we 
have made in the last 15 years to help those with disabilities.
  Whether it is the costs involved or the unwillingness to reach out to 
this brave segment of our national workforce, people with disabilities 
are still discouraged from opening some doors of opportunity. They 
still need more assistance in their fight for justice.
  I encourage the Members of this chamber, as well as citizens and 
employers across the country, to pursue reinvigorated efforts at 
ensuring that every man, woman, and child is afforded an opportunity to 
success. Let us find ways to help every citizen build a better life as 
we create the conditions for a better America.

                          ____________________