[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 156 (Tuesday, September 26, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S4676]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            MORNING BUSINESS

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               50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE REHABILITATION ACT

  Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. President, I rise today to highlight the 
importance of the Rehabilitation Act and to recognize the law's 
significance as we celebrate its 50th birthday today.
  The Rehabilitation Act prohibits discrimination against people with 
disabilities in programs that receive Federal funding. It helped lay 
the foundation for the Americans with Disabilities Act, which wasn't 
signed into law until almost two decades later. But aside from that, 
the anniversary of the Rehabilitation Act also serves as a reminder 
that we are where we are now because of the sheer willpower of 
disability activists from across the country--activists like my late 
friend Judy Heumann, whom I can't help but remember today.
  Even though the Rehabilitation Act was signed into law in 1973, it 
was not implemented until 4 years later, and that was only after 
hundreds of disabled activists sat in and occupied Federal buildings 
across the country. At San Francisco's sit-in, which lasted for weeks, 
protestors like Judy refused to be moved. Authorities shut off the 
phone lines. They shut off the water so those protesting went thirsty. 
But our community stuck together and stayed strong. I am grateful these 
dedicated activists persisted despite difficult obstacles, and their 
persistence and determination should inspire our country to push 
further towards achieving the ultimate goal of full accessibility and 
inclusion.
  People with disabilities continue to face discrimination every day. 
From lack of access to healthcare, to disparately low employment rates; 
from inaccessible websites and official documents, to suffering the 
indignity of having airlines destroy wheelchairs and assistive 
equipment on flights, our Nation must push past complacency and work to 
ensure the letter and spirit of the Rehabilitation Act and Americans 
with Disabilities Act are applied to all aspects of life in the 21st 
century.
  Our community is already more than 61 million strong--a number that 
will continue to grow in the years ahead--because the truth is that 
every American is just 1 day away from becoming disabled and everyone 
should hope to live long enough that they eventually gain some sort of 
disability. Our Nation's laws and policies should reflect that. That is 
one reason why I am proud that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 
Services acted on my request that Medicare finally cover seat elevation 
systems in power wheelchairs. It is why I am proud that the Government 
Accountability Office agreed to study health disparities experienced by 
people with disabilities. And it is why I will keep working with the 
disability community to honor and carry on the work of Judy and all the 
advocates, activists, and allies who helped get us to this point.
  So here is to 50 years of the Rehabilitation Act and to everything we 
do in the next 50.

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