ADA Statements from Pres. Bush, Senators Edwards and Clinton
JFA
Daily, 7/25/07
1. Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, 2007 -
A Proclamation by the President of
the United States of America
2. Edwards Recognizes the Anniversary of the Americans with
Disabilities Act - Calls
for strengthening the law
3. Hillary Clinton's Agenda to Expand Economic Opportunity for
Individuals with Disabilities
__________________________________________________________
Anniversary
of the Americans with Disabilities Act, 2007
- A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America
For
Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 24, 2007
On the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA),
we celebrate our progress towards an America where individuals
with disabilities are recognized for their
talents and
contributions to our society. We also underscore our commitment to
extend the full liberties and freedoms
of our great country to all
Americans.
Seventeen years ago, President George H. W. Bush signed the ADA
into law.
This legislation became one of the most successful and
compassionate reforms in our Nation's history, helping to ensure
that
individuals with disabilities are better able to develop
meaningful skills, engage in productive work, and participate
fully
in the life of our Nation.
My Administration continues our work to build on this landmark
legislation. In 2001,
I announced the New Freedom Initiative to
promote the full participation of people with disabilities in all
areas of
society by improving educational and employment
opportunities, increasing access to assistive technologies,
expanding
transportation options, and promoting homeownership and
integration into daily community life. The New Freedom Initiative
and
the ADA provide children with disabilities the tools they need
to succeed in schools and communities. Working men and women
living
with disabilities contribute to our strong economy, and the
"Ticket to Work" program and services at One-Stop Career Centers
help
expand employment opportunities. The DisabilityInfo.gov
website connects individuals with disabilities and their families
to
vital information that helps more Americans share in the
promises of our Nation.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH,
President of the United States
of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the
Constitution and laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim
July 26, 2007, as a day in celebration of the 17th Anniversary of
the Americans with
Disabilities Act. I call on all Americans to
celebrate the vital contributions of individuals with disabilities
as we
work towards fulfilling the promise of the ADA to give all
our citizens the opportunity to live with dignity, work
productively,
and achieve their dreams.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fourth
day of July, in the
year of our Lord two thousand seven, and of
the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred
and thirty-second.
GEORGE
W. BUSH
SOURCE: The White House, President George W. Bush
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Edwards
Recognizes the Anniversary of the Americans with
Disabilities Act - Calls for strengthening the law
Chapel Hill,
North Carolina On the eve of the anniversary of the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Senator John Edwards called
for
Congress to pass new legislation strengthening the ADA. At the
same time, Edwards' campaign announced that he had been
endorsed
by several prominent leaders in the disability rights movement.
"As we prepare to celebrate the 17th anniversary
of the landmark
Americans with Disabilities Act, we must reclaim the ADA. Hostile,
conservative judges have put new
barriers in front of Americans
with disabilities who seeking nothing more than the right to work
and live with dignity,"
said Edwards. "Congress should pass the
ADA Restoration Act to ensure that the law remains consistent with
Congress'
original intent and restore civil rights protections to
people with epilepsy, depression, diabetes, cancer and other
conditions."
...
To
read the rest of the article, go to:
http://www.aapd.com/News/election/070725sje.htm
SOURCE: John Edwards for President
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hillary
Clinton's Agenda to Expand Economic Opportunity for
Individuals with Disabilities
On the eve of the 17th Anniversary
of the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA), Hillary Clinton wanted to celebrate the
significant progress that has
been made since this landmark law
was enacted. The nation has dramatically improved the
accessibility of the built environment
and the telecommunications
infrastructure. But there is still a long way to go. That is why
today Hillary Clinton is
unveiling a new set of proposals to
empower people with disabilities for the jobs, work, and careers
they aspire to.
The
United States will only reach its economic potential if it
ensures that people with disabilities have the full opportunity
to
reach their potential. Americans with disabilities have half the
employment rate and double the poverty rate of individuals
who do
not have disabilities. Even those people with disabilities who
graduated college work at only two-thirds the
rate of college
graduates without disabilities. Hillary Clinton believes we must
shift our orientation towards a new
approach that helps those with
disabilities thrive and reach their potential in the workplace,
community and nation.
This
agenda builds on Hillary Clinton's record on issues important
to people with disabilities. From her support for programs
that
promote access to long-term support services to providing
universal health care, Hillary Clinton has been a longtime
champion
of policies and programs that help people with
disabilities live full and rewarding lives.
...
To read the
rest of the article, go to:
http://www.aapd.com/News/election/070725shc.htm
SOURCE: Senator Hillary Clinton
__________________________________________________________
For
more ADA in the News, see:
http://www.aapd.com/News/adainthe/indexada.php
# # #
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