[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.

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