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President Bush Commemorates ADA Anniversary
Last Friday, on the 12th Anniversary of the
Americans with Disabilities Act, President Bush held an event in the East Room
of the White House in honor of the ADA. This included an important and welcome
announcement concerning the Medicare "homebound" policy. Bush said he was
"clarifying" Medicare policy to ensure that people receiving Medicare services
in the home could leave their homes more often without fear of losing their
Medicare coverage. The President also said he was pleased to receive the
Department of Education's report on special education and looked forward to
working with Congress on the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA)
re-authorization.
Below please find the text of President Bush's remarks, a fact sheet about the
president's Medicare announcement and New Freedom Initiative, and the text of a
proclamation Bush signed in honor of the ADA.
Jonathan Young
JFA Editor, AAPD
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_____________________________
For Immediate Release July 26, 2002
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT ON 12th ANNIVERSARY OF ADA
The East Room
1:47 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all for coming, and welcome to the White House.
We like to call this the people's house. And we're glad you're here. Today we
celebrate the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, landmark
legislation that opens the door for more than 50 million people living with
disabilities.
For 12 years, the ADA has proven that when people are treated with dignity and
respect, our entire nation benefits. And the best way to celebrate the progress
the ADA has made is to continue and build on that progress.
I want to thank the Attorney General for coming today. I thank
Elaine Chau for being here, Mel Martinez and Norm Mineta, Tony Prinicipi, all
members of my Cabinet. I appreciate Senator Bob Dole for joining us today. I
missed you yesterday in North Carolina, but thanks for coming. (Applause.)
I appreciate so very much the leaders of the United States
Congress who are here today with us, Senators and members of the House of
Representatives. Thank you all for taking time from what appears to be a pretty
hectic time to lend your support and commitment to this vital goal that all
Americans are -- welcomed in America.
I appreciate Dick Thornburg, who was the Attorney General when my dad was the
President when the ADA was signed, and he helped very much make sure that it was
all done in a way that would pass muster. I thank him for being here, as well.
I want to thank Cari Dominguez, who is the Chair of the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission, for coming. Thank Kay James, who is the Director of
Office of Personnel Management, for coming.
I also want to thank Lex Frieden for being here, as well. Lex is a
representative of the Dart family. Justin Dart passed away on June 22nd, 2002.
He was known by many as the father of the Americans with Disabilities Act. He
had a huge impact on our nation. We mourn his loss and we thank Lex for being
here. (Applause.)
The ADA is one of the most compassionate and successful civil rights laws in
American history. It has made our schools and workplaces more welcoming. It has
changed attitudes that once seemed unchangeable. And the ADA has given
opportunity to some exceptional Americans.
Today, I'm joined on stage by some exceptional Americans. They are participants
in the National Youth Leadership Network, an organization sponsored by the
federal government and committed to advancing the next generation of disability
leaders. Through their hard work and determination, each of them embodies the
true spirit of the ADA.
William Le'Ron Jackson, seated right here to my right -- oh, yeah. (Applause.)
Let me tell you what he said. "In spite of all the barriers I have encountered,
I always hear my mother's voice saying, Le'Ron, keep reaching up. And that is
exactly what I plan to do." This fall, Le'Ron is returning to college to
continue reaching toward his goal of becoming a paralegal. When he's not
studying, he's an active volunteer in his community. Le'Ron Jackson is an
example of how the ADA changes lives. He is a role model for all Americans with
and without disabilities. Thank you for being here. (Applause.)
The ADA has given greater hope and dignity to countless Americans. Yet our work
is not complete. Too many individuals still find it difficult to pursue an
education, or own a home, or hold a job. We must continue to remove the
artificial barriers to achievement that remain.
Last year, my administration unveiled the new Freedom Initiative, an effort to
continue on the hopeful path of the ADA. This initiative gives people with
disabilities increased access to new technologies for independent living,
greater educational opportunities, better access to the workplace and community
life.
For too many individuals with disabilities, inadequate transportation limits
access to schools and churches and jobs. And this is one obstacle the new
Freedom Initiative addresses. The 2003 budget I submitted provides $145 million
for alternative transportation and innovative transportation grants, so that
people with disabilities can work and participate more actively intheir
communities. And I urge the Congress to fully fund my new Freedom Initiative
budget requests. (Applause.)
And when Americans with disabilities participate in their communities, they
should not be penalized. Today, Medicare recipients who are considered homebound
may lose coverage if they occasionally go to a baseball game -- which, of
course, I encourage them to do -- (laughter) -- or meet with a friend, or go to
a family reunion. New technology is allowing even the most significantly
disabled Americans to be more mobile. That's just a fact. And they should not be
forced to trade their benefits for a little freedom. (Applause.)
So today I announce we're clarifying Medicare policy, so people who are
considered homebound can occasionally take part in their communities, without
fear of losing their benefits. (Applause.) We're also determined to help people
like Le'Ron to their full potential, by expanding educational opportunities. In
both my budgets, I've asked for increases in special education grant funding of
$1 billion. These are the largest increases ever proposed.
In addition, I created the Commission on Excellence and Special Education, to
recommend policies to improve the educational performance of students with
disabilities. The Commission provided excellent recommendations in its recent
report. And I look forward to working with Congress, and I hope Congress will
closely examine those findings when it considers the reauthorization of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
You know, when my father signed the ADA into law in 1990, he said, "We must not
and will not rest until every many and women with a dream has the means to
achieve it." Today we renew that commitment, and we continue to work for an
America where individuals are celebrated for their abilities, not judged by
their disabilities. (Applause.)
Again, I want to welcome you all here. I want to thank those who were pioneers
in this landmark legislation for being here to celebrate this anniversary. I am
now pleased to sign a proclamation in honor of the 12th anniversary of the
Americans with Disability Act. (Applause.)
(The proclamation is signed.) (Applause.)
END 1:55 P.M. EDT
# # #
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 26, 2002
Honoring the Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act
Today's Presidential Action:
In an East Room ceremony marking the 12th anniversary of the enactment of the
Americans with Disabilities Act, President George W. Bush:
Announced a clarification of Medicare policy to ensure that people with severe
disabilities considered "homebound" under Medicare home health requirements are
able to leave their homes occasionally without the risk of losing their Medicare
coverage; and
Called on Congress to fund his New Freedom Initiative budget requests, including
$145 million for: (1) competitive grants to provide additional transportation
services for Americans with disabilities, increasing their access to the job
market; and (2) a pilot program to demonstrate innovative solutions for
transportation problems that prevent many people with disabilities from living
more independently.
President Bush also praised the work of the Commission on Excellence in Special
Education, which recently recommended improvements in the education of students
with disabilities to Congress and the President. These recommendations will help
Congress as it considers the reauthorization of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). President Bush has made funding for special
education a high priority. In each of the President's two budget requests, he
has asked Congress for an additional $1 billion in IDEA Part B State Grants
funding, the largest increases ever requested in history by any president.
Background on Today's Presidential Action:
On February 1, 2001, President Bush announced the New Freedom Initiative - a
comprehensive program to promote the full participation of people with
disabilities in all areas of society by increasing access to assistive and
universally designed technologies, expanding educational and employment
opportunities, and promoting increased access into daily community life.
The Administration is committed to the full enforcement of the Americans with
Disabilities Act. The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability
in:
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Places of public accommodation, including all hotels,
restaurants, retail stores, theaters, health care facilities, convention
centers, parks, and places of recreation; |
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Activities of state and local governments, including public
transportation and employment; and |
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Employment practices of private employers with 15 or more
employees. |
The New Freedom Initiative also increases technical assistance
to help small businesses comply with the ADA. The President believes that the
most efficient way to promote compliance withthe Act is to give businesses and
local governments the information they need to better understand their
obligations.
Examples of the Administration's innovative efforts to promote compliance with
the ADA include the Department of Justice's "ADA Business Connection," which is
increasing compliance by fostering an ADA dialogue within the business community
and increasing the flow of ADA information to business decision makers.
Additionally, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is providing ADA
training to small businesses throughout the country.
For a full progress report on the implementation of the New Freedom Initiative,
please visit
http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/newfreedom/
For more information on the President's initiatives, please visit
www.whitehouse.gov
####
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
July 26, 2002
ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, 2002
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is one of the most
compassionate and successful civil rights laws in American history. In the 12
years since President George H. W. Bush signed the ADA into law, more people
with disabilities are participating fully in our society than ever before. As we
mark this important anniversary, we celebrate the positive effect this landmark
legislation has had upon our Nation, and we recognize the important influence it
has had in improving employment opportunities, government services, public
accommodations,transportation, and telecommunications for those with
disabilities.
Today, Americans with disabilities enjoy greatly improved access to countless
facets of life; but more work needs to be done. We must continue to build on the
important foundations established by the ADA. Too many Americans with
disabilities remain isolated, dependent, and deprived of the tools they need to
enjoy all that our Nation has to offer.
My Administration is committed to removing the barriers that prevent people with
disabilities from realizing their full potential and achieving their dreams. The
New Freedom Initiative, which I announced last year, builds on the hopeful path
of the ADA. It provides Americans with disabilities increased access to
assistive technologies, expands educational options, and increases opportunities
for them to integrate into our workforce. We are committed to ensuring the
delivery of vital services to disabled persons in an integrated, community-based
setting.
My Administration will continue to enforce the Americans with Disabilities Act,
and we will work with businesses and State and local governments to increase
partnerships that promote the purposes of the ADA. Together, we are working for
a day when all people with disabilities are able to live and work with dignity,
freedom, and independence and realize their potential as fully integrated
members of our society.
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, 2002, as a day in celebration of the 12th
Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I call upon public
officials, business leaders, people with disabilities, and all Americans to
pursue the ADA's full promise of equal opportunity and to celebrate the expanded
freedom that the ADA has brought to American life.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-sixth day of July,
in the year of our Lord two thousand two, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and twenty-seventh.
GEORGE W. BUSH
JUSTICE FOR ALL -- A Service of the American Association of
People with Disabilities
www.aapd-dc.org
www.jfanow.org
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