[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12840]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. KIRK:
  S. 1863. A bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Timothy 
Nugent, in recognition of his pioneering work on behalf of people with 
disabilities, including disabled veterans; to the Committee on Banking, 
Housing, and Urban Affairs.
  Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, today I wish to commemorate the 25th 
anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA, as well as 
Timothy Nugent, who has spent the past 70 years as a relentless 
innovator and tireless advocate for disabled people across the country. 
Together with Congressman Rodney Davis, I have introduced a bill that 
would award Mr. Nugent with the Congressional Gold Medal. Mr. Nugent 
and the ADA have helped millions of Americans live better, more 
productive lives, improving the United States overall, and making us an 
example for the world to follow.
  Timothy Nugent saw a need for services and accommodations for 
disabled servicemen when they came home from the battlefields of World 
War II. Mr. Nugent founded the first higher educational program for 
wounded and disabled soldiers in the world, and he confronted the bias 
of the general public by bringing students with disabilities into the 
mainstream of college campuses and societies. Because of Mr. Nugent's 
leadership and commitment, the University of Illinois built 
accommodations for the disabled veteran and created a hospitable 
environment for our Nation's greatest heroes, providing them the same 
educational opportunities as others. He also disproved many in the 
medical community who believed that either rehabilitation and sporting 
activities were harmful to individuals with severe disabilities or that 
education was not necessary because of the beliefs at the time was that 
the lifespan of persons with spinal cord injuries would be too short 
for them to benefit from college degrees.
  Many of the architectural accessibility standards and laws of the 
United States, including the welcoming Americans with Disabilities Act, 
trace back directly to innovations created by Nugent. I know firsthand 
how important this law and Mr. Nugent's actions are to the University 
of Illinois and the community of 50 million Americans living with a 
disabilities. Laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act allow all 
Americans to live life on their own terms, and Mr. Nugent's work on 
behalf of these individuals is well-deserving of the Congressional Gold 
Medal.

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