[Athen] 30 years ago America pledged to “welcome citizens with disabilities” How do you welcome your “fellow citizens with disabilities”?

[Lissner, Scott]

How do you welcome your “fellow citizens with disabilities”?
[Image.jpeg]Photo of President George Bush signing into law the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 on the South Lawn of the White House. Left to Right, sitting: Evan Kemp, Chairperson, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Justin Dart, Chairperson, President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. Left to R right, standing: Rev. Harold Wilke and Swift Parrino, Chairperson, National Council on Disability, 07/26/1990.

Thirty years ago on On July 26th, 1990 President George H. W. Bush signed the ADA with these words:

“Today, America welcomes into the mainstream of life all of our fellow citizens with disabilities. We embrace you for your abilities and for your disabilities, for our similarities and indeed for our differences, for your past courage and your future dreams. Last year, we celebrated a victory of international freedom. Even the strongest person couldn't scale the Berlin Wall to gain the elusive promise of independence that lay just beyond. And so, together we rejoiced when that barrier fell.

And now I sign legislation which takes a sledgehammer to another wall, one which has for too many generations separated Americans with disabilities from the freedom they could glimpse, but not grasp. Once again, we rejoice as this barrier falls for claiming together we will not accept, we will not excuse, we will not tolerate discrimination in America.

With, again, great thanks to the Members of the United States Senate, leaders of whom are here today, and those who worked so tirelessly for this legislation on both sides of the aisles. And to those Members of the House of Representatives with us here today, Democrats and Republicans as well, I salute you. And on your behalf, as well as the behalf of this entire country, I now lift my pen to sign this Americans with Disabilities Act and say: Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down. God bless you all.”

How do you welcome your “fellow citizens with disabilities”?


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