THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON THE HANDICAPPED HAS NOT BEEN TIMID

IN ITS EFFORTS IN BOTH ORIGINATING AND SPEARHEADING THIS
LEGISLATION. LEGISLATION WE FIRST RECOMMENDED IN A REPORT

TITLED "TOWARD INDEPENDENCE" THAT WAS SENT TO BOTH THE PRESIDENT

AND THE CONGRESS IN 1986.

LEGISLATION WE DESIGNED AFTER IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS AND STUDY. LEGISLATION THAT IS OF CLEAR IMPORTANCE TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AND TO FEDERAL POLICY REGARDING DISABILITY PROGRAMS. LEGISLATION THAT OFFERS

CONSTRUCTIVE, REALISTIC AND FISCALLY SOUND SOLUTIONS TO ENHANCE

INDEPENDENCE AND PRODUCTIVITY OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.

LANDMARK LEGISLATION THAT IS A CIVIL RIGHTS, EQUAL OPPORTUNITY BILL FOR
36 MILLION DISABLED AMERICANS. LEGISLATION THAT WILL, IN ESSENCE, NO
LONGER ALLOW 36 MILLION AMERICANS TO BE LEFT OUT OF THE AMERICAN
DREAM SCENARIO.

THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT OF 1988 IS NOT ONLY IMPORTANT TO
36 MILLION CITIZENS WITH DISABILITIES....IT IS ALSO....AS I WILL
ILLUSTRATE A BIT LATER...IMPERISHABLY IMPORTANT TO OUR NATION.

FROM THE QUADRIPLEGIC AS THE RESULT OF A FOOTBALL INJURY....TO THE CHILD IN A HOSPITAL CRIB....FROM RAPIDLY GROWING NUMBERS OF SENIOR CITIZENS...TO 75 THOUSANDS VIEINAM VETERANS...THE BASIC NUGGET OF TRUTH IS THAT.... DUE TO DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES....PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES CONTINUE TO SUFFER FROM THE HIGHEST RATES OF UNEMPLOYMENT AND POVERTY THAN ANY OTHER GROUP OF AMERICANS. LESS ACCESS TO DECENT SCHOOLING..HOUSING..WORK AND TRANSPORTATION THAN ANYONE IN THIS COUNTRY....INCLUDING NON-CITIZENS.

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ADA IS OF CRITICALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE ITS PROVISIONS ARE SHAPED TO BREAK THE THE CHAINS THAT BIND MANY OF THESE 36 MILLIONS INTO A BONDAGE OF UNJUST, UNWANTED DEPENDENCY ON FAMILIES, CHARITY AND SOCIAL WELFARE. A DEPENDENCY THAT IS A MAJOR AND TOTALLY UNNECESSARY CONTRIBUTOR TO FUBLIC DEFICITS AND PRIVATE EXPENDITURES.

THESE HEARINGS WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH A VITAL SOURCE OF INFORMATION TO
ASSESS THE SCOPE AND MEANING OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT. ON
BEHALF OF 36 MILLION CITIZENS I ASK YOU TO KEEP IN MIND THAT...FOR DECADES
DISABLED PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WAITING.

FOR DECADES THE DISABLED HAVE SEEN LAWS ENACTED BY THEIR ELECTED
REPRESENTATIVES THAT PROHIBIT DISCRIMINATION FOR OTHER CATEGORIES OF
INDIVIDUALS. FOR DECADES DISABLED AMERICANS HAVE HAD TO LIVE WITH THE
REALIZATION THAT THERE ARE NO SIMILARLY EFFECTIVE LAWS TO PROTECT THEM.
TODAY, I AM PROUD TO SAY, THERE IS AN EMERGING GROUP-CONSCIOUSNESS ON
THE PART OF DISABLED AMERICANS, THEIR FAMILIES, FRIENDS AND ADVOCATES. A
CONSCIOUSNESS TOWARD MOUNTING POLITICAL ACTIVISM. MARTIN LUTHER KING HAD
A DREAM. WE HAVE A VISION. KING DREAMED OF AN AMERICA WHERE A PERSON WAS
JUDGED NOT BY THE COLOR OF HIS SKIN, BUT BY THE NATURE OF HIS CHARACTER.
ADA'S VISION IS OF AN AMERICA WHERE PERSONS ARE JUDGED BY THEIR ABILITIES
AND NOT ON THE BASIS OF THEIR DISABILITIES.

36 MILLION AMERICANS...OUR NATION'S LARGEST AND NO LONGER SILENT

MINORITY. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, AMERICA CANNOT AFFORD TO DISCARD HER
DISARLED BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

IN SHEPHERDING THIS LEGISLATION FROM RICHLY DESERVED CONCEPT TO
STATUTORY CIVIL RIGHTS UMBRELLA...IN "TOWARDS INDEPENDENCE," OUR 1986
REPORT TO CONGRESS, OUR GOAL HAS BEEN TO DEVISE PRACTICAL, RESPONSIBLE
LEGISLATION BY WHICH FEDERAL EXPENDITURES RELATING TO DISABILITY ARE MORE
PRUDENTLY SPENT WHILE INEFFECTIVENESS AND COUNTER PRODUCTIVITY ARE
MINIMIZED.

"IN THE 1984 REPORT TO CONGRESS BY THE REHABILITATION SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION, IT WAS INDICATED FOR EVERY $1.00 SPENT TO RETURN A
DISABLED PERSON TO WORK, $18.00 WERE RETURNED TO THE TAX BASE UPON THEIR
PLACEMENT. THIS WOULD INCLUDE NOT ONLY TAXES PAID BY THE INDIVIDUAL, BUT
MONEY SAVED FROM THE REMOVAL OF FUBLIC EXPENDITURES.

(SINCE DISABILITY

INCREASES WITH AGE, THE COUNCIL'S ROLE IN PREVENTION COULD BE MENTIONED IN THE TESTIMONY)."

ADA SEEKS TO PROTECT DISABLED CITIZENS AGAINST DISCRIMINATION IN AREAS SUCH AS TRANSPORTATION...PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYMENT...FUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS...HOUSING AND COMMUNICATIONS AND WHERE APPROPRIATE THE ACTIVITIES OF STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AGENCIES.

IN FACT, BOTH LOUIS HARRIS POLLS SUBSTANTIATED THAT THE TWO WORDS "NOT WORKING" ARE PERHAPS THE TRUEST DEFINITION OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE DISABLED

IN AMERICA TODAY.

AMERICA CAN NOT AFFORD TO DISCARD HER DISABLED PEOPLE. THE MAJORITY OF
DISABLED PEOPLE NOT WORKING SAID THAT THEY WANT TO WORK. THE FIRST LOUIS
HARRIS POLL SHOWED THAT DISABLED WORKERS IN THE WORKPLACE ARE RATED "GOOD"
TO "EXCELLENT" BY AN OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THEIR EMPLOYERS.
DISABILITY DOES NOT MEAN INCOMPETENCE. THE PERCEPTION THAT THE DISABLED
ARE FLAWED AND INCAPABLE OF CARING FOR THEMSELVES IS THE RESULT OF

DISCRIMINATORY ATTITUDES...NOT THE RESULT OF DISABILITY. AS LOUIS HARRIS

DISCOVERED, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WANT TO BECOME INVOLVED IN THEIR

COMMUNITIES AS TAXPAYING CONTRIBUTORS.

IT IS CONTRARY TO SOUND PRINCIPLES OF FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY TO

SPEND BILLIONS OF FEDERAL TAX DOLLARS TO RELEGATE PEOPLE WITH

DISABILITIES TO POSITIONS OF DEPENDENCY UPON PUBLIC SUPPORT.

MAY I REMIND YOU, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES REPRESENT AMERICA'S GREATEST UNTAPPED RESOURCE OF EMPLOYABLES WHO WANT TO WORK.

AS WE ALL KNOW, IN AMERICA JOBS ARE A MAJOR SOURCE OF STATUS, DIGNITY AND "WHAT DO YOU DO?" IS A CONVERSATIONAL STAPLE, TO CONTRIBUTE

SELF-ESTEEM.

TO SOCIETY AND SUPPORT YOURSELF IS A CHERISHED PRECEPT OF OUR AMERICAN

VISION.

ADA SWEEPS INTO OBSOLESCENCE THOSE OBSTACLES THAT LIMIT OPPORTUNITY, PROMOTE DISCRIMINATION, PREVENT INTEGRATION RESTRICT CHOICE AND FRUSTRATE SELF-HELP FOR THE 65 PERCENT OF NON-INSTITUTIONAL WORKING AGE DISABLED AMERICANS WHO ARE UNEMPLOYED.

AMERICA CAN NOT AFFORD TO DISCARD HER DISABLED BROTHERS AND SISTERS. ADVANCING AGE, ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES, ILLNESS, ACCIDENT WILL SOMEDAY, ACCORDING TO REPUTABLE STATISTICS, FUT ALL OF US, OR A LOVED ONE, IN THE CATEGORY OF A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY.

THE GOALS ESPOUSED IN THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT ARE ECONOMICALLY PRACTICAL AS WELL AS MORALLY CORRECT....... AND HUMANELY NECESSARY. THE ADA IS LEGISLATION THAT DOES AWAY WITH TROUBLING HISTORICAL ECHOES. ECHOES THAT MUST NO LONGER BE INTERPRETED BY AMERICA'S DISABLED CITIZENRY AS A LIFE SENTENCE.

IN CLOSING I WISH TO RELAY A MESSAGE FROM 36 MILLION DISABLED

AMERICANS. FOR DECADES WE HAVE RETAINED A FAITH IN THE REFORMABILITY
AND ADAPTABILITY OF OUR GOVERNMENT. FOR DECADES WE HAVE BEEN TOLD

TO HAVE PATIENCE. BUT PATIENCE IS NOT AN INEXHAUSTIBLE COMMODITY. PEOPLE
WITH DISABILITIES HAVE WAITED LONG ENOUGH. AMERICA HAS WAITED LONG
ENOUGH. THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT MUST BE ENACTED NOW. THE

HOPES, ASPIRATIONS AND VISIONS OF 36 MILLION AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES
NOW RESTS WITH YOU.