[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 16, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E241]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             FEBRUARY IS JEWISH DISABILITY AWARENESS MONTH

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                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 16, 2011

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Jewish 
Disability Network, a coalition of over 20 Jewish organizations, for 
its advocacy on behalf of the rights of disabled Americans. This 
February marks the third Jewish Disability Awareness Month, organized 
to push for greater recognition of the needs and concerns of disabled 
Americans.
  Jewish tradition recognizes the importance of inclusion and prizes 
the ability of every person to participate fully in their community. 
Today, over fifty million Americans are living with a disability. 
Tragically, too many of them face barriers that lock them out of 
employment, housing, education, or health care. They are denied the 
opportunity to be productive and our society is denied the benefits of 
their abilities.
  Only 21 percent of people with disabilities are employed full or 
part-time. One in six people with disabilities has not completed high 
school, 28 percent live in poverty, 19 percent have gone without needed 
health care at least once during the past year, and 34 percent lack 
access to adequate transportation. We are making progress through 
legislation like the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Patient 
Protection and Affordable Care Act, and through continued investments 
in IDEA, job training, health care and technology assistance. Those 
commitments must continue and we should reject budget cuts that would 
reverse the gains we have already made.
  We must strive for inclusion. A 2010 survey by the Kessler Foundation 
and the National Organization on Disability found people with 
disabilities are less likely to socialize with friends and family, to 
go to restaurants or to attend religious services on a regular basis. 
Jewish Disability Awareness Month seeks to focus on the barriers that 
create isolation and remove them. The Religious Action Center of Reform 
Judaism, a leader of the Jewish Disability Network, puts it this way: 
``Stumbling blocks come in many forms, from less-than-accessible 
buildings, Shabbat services, prayer books and web pages to health care 
that is harder to access or isn't sufficient for people with 
disabilities. We are obligated to remove these stumbling blocks.''
  Jewish Disability Awareness Month is an opportunity not just to 
highlight problems but to promote solutions. Doing so is not that 
difficult, nor does it need to be costly. One-third of disabled workers 
can be accommodated for no cost, and 80 percent of job accommodations 
cost less than $500. The average added cost for homes built with 
accessibility features is between $100 and $600, while retrofitting a 
home can cost several thousand dollars. Enactment of legislation like 
my Inclusive Home Design Act can help bring and keep people with 
disabilities in our communities.
  Today, the Jewish Disability Network will hold a Congressional 
briefing on ways to expand access to employment and education and 
protect the civil rights of the disabled. This month, congregations 
across the country will undertake activities to engage people with 
disabilities in their communities: taking disabled seniors to a meal or 
museum, providing lunch and learning sessions for parents of disabled 
children, or helping young disabled adults develop leadership skills in 
a social context. Throughout the year, the Jewish Disability Network 
works to put its principles of participation and inclusion into 
practice.
  I am proud of those efforts, and I encourage my colleagues to learn 
more about them. Again, I want to congratulate Rabbi Lynne Landsberg, 
senior adviser for disability issues at the Religious Action Center; 
David Feinman, senior legislative associate of the Jewish Federation of 
North America; and the many others who are leaders in this critical 
initiative.

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