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United Cerebral Palsy of Indiana, Inc. 445 North Pennsylvania Street Indianapolis, IN 46204 (317) 634-7134

TESTIMONY - AMERICANS with DISABILITIES ACT

October 6, 1989 - Indianapolis, Indiana

Honorable Congressmen Major Owens

and Jim Jontz:

United Cerebral Palsy of Indiana (UCPI) is privileged to have the
opportunity to speak to you personally at this hearing concerning
the Americans with Disabilities Act, recently passed by the U.S.
Senate and soon to be considered on the floor in the U.S. House
of Representatives.

UCPI heartily endorses this legislation extending equal, civil rights
and ending discrimination for our special population of people with
disabilities, in the areas of employment, public accomondations, new
construction, renovation and transportation.

Further, we would urge that each Committee Member and each Congressman
in the House consider carefully any and all changes suggested by
pressure groups, before making decisions that would tend to weaken or
compromise the bill in any way.

Thank you for the opportunity to express our concerns.

Julian Coleman, President

United Cerebral Palsy of Indiana

A not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for persons with cerebral palsy

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TO. THE HONORABLE JIM JONTZ, MEMBER OF CONGRESS:

My name is Jimmy L. Deckard, Sr., a victim of cerebral palsy since birth, I've experienced many instances that will be protected by The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

I attended a special school for the handicapped, James E. Roberts School during my grade and high school years. With the movement of a spactic cerebral palsy, the use of my upper extermities were very limited. I was not permitted to write my assignments as my penmanship was not legible. I did everything from English to Geometry on the typewriter. After my high school years, I attended a Business College and became a bookkeeper and a tax preparer. Upon graduating from the Business College, it became very difficult for me to find employment. After a six month search, I received a call on Christmas Eve afternoon to come for an interview for a printing company. I received employment and worked there for the next two years. I had surgery, the company got behind on my job, and called me back to work early. When I got the job up-to-date, I was fired for being too slow. I then work for several small companies, doing bookkeeping at a comparable low salary.

In 1974, I began employment with the State of Indiana as an account clerk. My state agency, Indiana Rehabilitation Services, which later became the Indiana Department of Human Services, employed me as an account clerk level V and later advanced me to level IV, of which I remain.

In 1983, I was attacted by an assailant, and stabbed five times in the right lung, and three times in the head. The three weeks I spent in Intensive Care was nothing but dreams. I was on a ventalator and respirator and kept paralized for my right lung to heal. The stabbing took place on October 23, 1983 and I returned home to recover on Saturday before Thanksgiving of 1983. With everything going as good as it was, I returned to work January 2, 1984. This was a mistake, I found my strength to be weak and I was very slow doing my job. My ability to work grew worse by the day and I took a year's leave without pay to recover. When the year was expired, I took a disability retirement from the State of Indiana.

During 1987, my condition improved to the extent that I wanted to return to work. When I contacted Indiana Department of Human Services to ask if I could return to work, I was told I must re-enter the rehabilitation process to prove my ability to work. After eleven months of evaluation and work adjustment, I became eligible for employment May 1, 1988. I then returned to Indiana Department of Human Services, October 31, 1988.

I am presently working in the Supported Employment Division of the Indiana Department of Human Services. Working

with my own computer system, furnished as a job modification by the Vocational Rehabilitation Division of the Indiana Department of Human Services.

Thank you for your time.

Respectfully,

Jimmy L Feckard, se.

Jimmy L. Deckard, Sr.

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Rebecca Kaye Jewett
4000 Gennie Law Dr.
Lafayette, or 47905
Ocbber, th 1989

slo committee to the Committee on Hering the Desalled Dear Sir's,

My name is Rebecca Jewell, I would like to communicate my experiends. When I was 29 years old 2 had a celebral vascular accident (1980). & have had significant and persistent dis organization of motor function in two extremities (right upper extremity and right lower extremity pre sulting in substained chost urtance of gross and dint rows movements (right upper extremity vertically useless and difficulty walking due to motor bes in right lower extremity, requiring use of brace.

state.

Akar my of loke Voc. Rehab paid for sending me back to college in library sciena aina & could not return to teach art Any choosen profesown. However, the state chard the library science dipl. at Purdue. before & could amplate the degree. I have enought hours to directe a & mall litrary in the olde. There was an living • Herbein for a library directa, & was opening in in Otterbein at the time next to a library board member. I applied and was hired-note blounce:

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On February of 1987 a had a recurrence of Hodgkin's disease, a informed my board of this, I would be taking chemotherapy, the doctor would allow me to work only twenty hours during this time, Ari July at a beard meeting before the public one of my board member got yo and ask me if I would not be better off on diablity. y

That previous year I did the paper work thecessing to appeal the library bridget. Qwoo ook to present un Andy before the state board of accounts эту my case at that hearing my appeal was one of the few granted. An Octobel my board hund another person without any experiena to work, at this meeting we were told to sign a written contract for three months at the end of this time, we would be evaluated. Prevares to this time I had been working without a written contract. A signed and at the Now meeting & informed my board, a would be reargining & would be resigning at the Rec. meeting. My board president Ronald Wolford asks the board to give a recommendation and the board refused, so he wrote a recommendation himself for me. Find en chroed History of Dot Search note June 1988.

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