[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 25 (Monday, June 25, 2001)]
[Pages 939-941]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks to Employees of the Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program 
Technology Evaluation Center in Arlington, Virginia

 June 19, 2001

     Thank you all. Thanks. Be seated. Please be seated. Mr. Secretary, 
thank you very much for your hospitality and your leadership. Senator 
Jeffords, Congressmen Green, Horn, and Langevin, thank you all for 
coming. It's good to see you all. These four Members of the United 
States Congress have had a piece--a hand in the strategy that I'm about 
to talk about, and I thank them for their leadership.
     Dinah, thank you very much. It's always a joy to be around somebody 
who loves what she's doing--an enthusiastic soul, and someone who is 
making people's lives better. And I really appreciate you having me 
here. I want to thank David Shu for his work, and I want to thank Rhett 
Dawson, as well, who is the president of the Information Technology and 
Industry Council.
     My fellow Americans, when the Americans with Disabilities Act was 
signed in 1990, our Nation made a promise, we will no longer 
underestimate the abilities of Americans with disabilities. We will 
treat Americans with disabilities as people to be respected, rather than 
problems to be confronted.
     Our Nation has made progress in both attitude and law. Navigating 
through buildings and buses is far easier than it was just a decade ago. 
Now, the growth of new technologies creates new hopes and new obstacles.
     The Internet brings a world of information into a computer screen, 
which has enriched the lives of many with disabilities. Yet, technology 
creates challenges of its own. The brilliant graphics that add life to 
many Web pages can make it difficult for a visually impaired person to 
get the information he or she needs from a Web site. Video technology is 
turning many computers into television sets. Yet, without closed 
captioning, many see a picture and no words. And complex keyboard 
commands make it difficult for a person with impaired motor skills to 
tap a computer's full potential. As a result, computer usage and 
Internet access for people with disabilities is half that of people 
without disabilities.
     Researchers here at the Department of Defense and at other agencies 
throughout the Federal Government and in the private sector are 
developing solutions to these problems. I have just had the opportunity 
to tour the Department's assistive technology center, and I saw 
technologies that are helping people with disabilities enjoy the full 
range of opportunities made possible by the technology boom.
     Software allows hearing-impaired people to communicate with their 
co-workers by computer. Screen reading technology makes it possible for 
the visually impaired to access information on a monitor. And voice 
recognition software unlocks new computing possibilities for people with 
impaired dexterity.
     The technologies on display here have helped more than 20,000 
Defense Department employees enjoy greater access to communications and 
computing equipment. And they will help countless individuals in the 
public and private sectors become fully integrated into the workplace. 
I'm committed to bringing that technology to users as quickly as 
possible. And I'm committed to ensuring that Government Web sites become 
compatible with this evolving technology. And that

[[Page 940]]

is why I'm pleased to announce that when Section 508 of the 
Rehabilitation Act, authored by Jim Jeffords, becomes effective for all 
Federal agencies next Monday, there will be more opportunities for 
people of all abilities to access Government information. Section 508 
requires Federal agencies to make sure that the electronic and 
information technology they use is accessible for people with 
disabilities.
     Increasingly, Americans use information technology to interact with 
their Government. They rely on thousands of Government Web pages to 
download forms, learn about Federal programs, find out where to turn for 
Government assistance, and communicate with elected officials, such as 
the President. And because of Section 508, Government Web sites will be 
more accessible for millions of Americans who have disabilities.
     Section 508 will also make the Federal Government a better 
employer, as roughly 120,000 Federal employees with disabilities will 
have greater access to the tools they need to better perform their jobs. 
This is one example of the successful public-private partnerships that 
are removing barriers to full community participation by Americans with 
disabilities. I thank the leaders from the technology industry who are 
with us today for your innovation and your ongoing cooperation.
     Full implementation of Section 508 is a key element of an agenda I 
announced a year ago and began implementing in February. It is called 
the New Freedom Initiative, and its goal is to prepare--is to help 
Americans with disabilities realize their potential and to achieve their 
dreams.
     We've asked Congress to increase funding to bring assistive 
technologies to market more quickly, to help make them more affordable 
for the people who need them, and to speed research in developing new 
technologies. We have sought to make it easier for Americans with 
disabilities to enter the workforce by finding new ways to get people to 
their jobs or relying on new technologies to help people work from their 
home.
     We recognize that small businesses and community groups like 
churches, synagogues, mosques, and civic organizations may have trouble 
finding the resources to fully comply with the ADA. So we've asked 
Congress to support efforts to help them make their facilities more 
accessible. And we understand that new policies will mean little if we 
don't fully enforce the ADA. So my administration is doing just that.
     While these Federal efforts are crucial to guaranteeing full 
accessibility for Americans with disabilities, we must also help them 
connect with their local communities. So I've signed an Executive order 
requiring full implementation of the Supreme Court's 1999 Olmstead 
decision. Olmstead and the ADA rightly mandate that individuals with 
disabilities who can receive support and treatment in a community 
setting should be given a reasonable opportunity to live close to their 
families and friends when appropriate.
     My Executive order directs key Federal agencies, like the 
Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Labor, Health and Human 
Services, Education, and Justice and the Social Security Administration 
to work with States to implement the Olmstead decision and the ADA. It 
directs those Agencies to explore how we can increase community-based 
services for people with disabilities, and it directs Attorney General 
Ashcroft and Secretary Thompson to fully enforce Title II of the 
Americans with Disabilities Act and ensure that no one is unjustly 
institutionalized.
     Secretary Thompson has also made seed money available to help every 
State develop a plan for implementing Olmstead. The Olmstead Executive 
order will increase freedom for people with disabilities. It is 
compassionate. It is needed. And it is now the Federal official policy 
of my administration. Americans must have the opportunity to live 
independently, work productively, and participate fully in community 
life.
     Many Americans achieve this independence through homeownership; but 
too often, the high cost of therapeutic care and assistive equipment and 
technologies make the goal of homeownership unattainable for people with 
disabilities. That's why I'm optimistic about a pilot program led 
through the Congress by Representative Mark Green, and soon to be 
implemented by Secretary Mel Martinez at HUD, that will allow many 
people with disabilities to buy their own homes.

[[Page 941]]

 By making the Section 8, low income rental assistance program, more 
flexible, the Federal Government can make homeownership a reality for 
more Americans.
     The new Section 8 HUD pilot program, the Olmstead Executive order, 
and the full implementation of Section 508 will help eliminate the 
barriers that many Americans with disabilities face. The proposals I 
sent to Congress will build on our society's commitment to welcome all 
Americans as friends and neighbors. When governments, business, and 
individuals work together to build a welcoming society, Americans of 
every ability will benefit.
     Thank you for what you're doing here at the Department of Defense. 
Thank you for your compassion. And may God bless America.

  Note:  The President spoke at 10:19 a.m. in the auditorium at the 
Pentagon. In his remarks, he referred to Defense Secretary Donald H. 
Rumsfeld and Dinah Cohen, director, Computer/Electronic Accommodations 
Program.