[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 16588-16589]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise to recognize the 18th anniversary of 
the Americans with Disabilities Act. We have much to celebrate on this 
occasion. Signed into law 18 years ago, the ADA has fundamentally 
strengthened our Nation with its promise of equal rights and 
opportunity for individuals with disabilities.
  We can see the ADA's transformative effects on society, with our 
public facilities, services, transportation, and telecommunications now 
accessible to millions who were excluded in the past. Even though the 
results are easy for most of us to take for granted, they can mean the 
difference between exclusion and full participation for a person with a 
disability. The ADA has ushered in a new era of opportunity in the 
workplace as well. After all, this legislation was intended to prohibit 
discriminatory job decisions in the same spirit of the other great 
civil rights laws of our country.
  The ADA both reflects and reinforces our commitment to the inclusion, 
understanding, and acceptance of all people--no matter their ability or 
disability.
  I have met countless Nevadans with disabilities over the years whose 
stories breathe life into the ideals set forth by the ADA. They want to 
live, work, and pursue the American dream on equal footing with 
everyone else, and the ADA has paved the way for them to do so.
  Nonetheless, the struggles that people with disabilities continue to 
face show that we still have a long way to go before the ADA's promise 
is fully realized. Economic independence, affordable health care, and 
the dignity of equal treatment are still beyond the reach of too many, 
and poverty and isolation still afflict the majority of people with 
disabilities. Unfortunately, court rulings in recent years have 
exacerbated these challenges by narrowing the ADA's coverage contrary 
congressional intent. It is time to restore the ADA to the law it was 
meant to be.
  So let us renew our efforts to build upon the founding principles of 
this

[[Page 16589]]

landmark civil rights law. I look forward to continuing this vital work 
in honor of all those who fought for its passage and on behalf of 
everyone today who cherishes the equality of opportunity promised by 
the Americans with Disabilities Act.

                          ____________________