[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18207]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 COMMEMORATING THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES 
                                  ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MAJOR R. OWENS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 26, 2005

  Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 
(ADA) profoundly improved the lives of approximately 54 million people 
with disabilities. Before the ADA, employers routinely denied 
promotions and jobs to individuals based not on skill, but on 
discriminatory stereotypes about disabilities. The lack of 
accommodations in the workplace shut people with disabilities out of 
the job force, resulting in astounding poverty rates. People with 
disabilities did not even have the legal tools to fight back because no 
law recognized their grievances.
  On July 26, 1990, George H.W. Bush signed the ADA, transforming 
America into a more accessible country. The ADA gave people with 
disabilities the right to be accommodated in the workplace, a fair 
grievance process for discrimination suits, equal access to public 
services, transportation and telecommunications. People with 
disabilities are no longer unnecessarily shut away; they have the 
ability to counteract discriminatory practices and have a fair chance 
to become productive members of society.
  I enthusiastically support the Hoyer Resolution commemorating the 
15th Anniversary of the ADA, the largest civil rights achievement since 
the Civil Rights Act of 1964. By celebrating and recognizing the 15th 
Anniversary of the ADA, Congress honors the United States' commitment 
to equality and justice. I hope that by recommitting Congress to the 
full enforcement and support of the ADA, all members will work harder 
to reduce the still-high unemployment rate among people with 
disabilities with the capacity to work. I urge my colleagues to support 
this resolution that recognizes the enormous potential impact of this 
untapped workforce in our global economy.

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