    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 31 (Monday, August 6, 2001)]
    [Pages 1115-1116]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    The President's Radio Address

    July 28, 2001

        Good morning. This past week our country marked the 11th anniversary
    of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I'm proud that it was my father
    who signed that landmark legislation into law. And all Americans can
    take pride in the changes the ADA has brought into the lives of millions
    of citizens with disabilities.
        Because of that law, Americans with disabilities have gained greater
    access to public places; they have more options in choosing their homes,
    using public transportation, traveling, and staying in hotels. Many have
    joined the workforce, thanks to reasonable accommodations made by their
    employers. This has made our country a fairer society, more considerate
    and welcoming to all our citizens.
        As people with disabilities find more opportunities to use their
    gifts and talents, we also become a stronger, more productive nation.
    Some barriers remain, however, and as long as they stand, our work is
    unfinished.
        In February I announced a plan called the New Freedom Initiative to
    expand even further the opportunities available to people with
    disabilities. This initiative will help more Americans with disabilities
    enter the workforce by improving transportation or making it easier to
    work from home. It will encourage private companies to develop new
    assistive technologies, like computer monitors for people with visual
    impairments, infrared pointers for people who cannot use their hands to
    operate a keyboard, and lighter wheelchairs to increase mobility. And my
    New Freedom Initiative will help community groups, churches, synagogues,
    mosques, and civic organizations to improve access for people with
    disabilities.
        Many of these groups are trying their best to meet the requirements
    of ADA, and we will help them. We must also work to ensure that people
    with disabilities are not arbitrarily isolated or kept apart. I recently
    signed an Executive order requiring Federal agencies to work with State
    and local authorities to allow people with disabilities to move out of
    institutions and into community settings. I've also instructed the
    Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to fully
    enforce title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, ensuring that
    no one is unjustifiably institutionalized.
        My administration is also committed to requiring all Federal
    agencies to make sure that their Internet sites are more accessible for
    people with disabilities, both inside and outside the Government. We
    have made significant progress in advancing the New Freedom Initiative.
    But some of these reforms will require the Congress to provide the
    resources we need to fully implement the New Freedom Initiative and
    fulfill the promise of ADA.
        All of these efforts will build on the progress we have made as a
    society since the Americans with Disabilities Act became law. During the
    last 11 years, we have opened the doors of opportunity to millions of
    people with disabilities, and together, we can ensure that everyone with
    a disability enjoys the respect that all citizens deserve.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 10:13 a.m. on July 27 in the Cabinet
    Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on July 28. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    July 27 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office of
    the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of this
    address.

    [[Page 1116]]