Wise Young
07-29-2001, 08:14 PM
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
Saturday, July 28, 2001
RADIO ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT
TO THE NATION
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This past week, our country
marked the 11th anniversary of the Americans with
Disabilities Act. I'm proud that it was my father who
signed that landmark legislation into law. And all
Americans can take pride in the changes the ADA has brought
into the lives of millions of citizens with disabilities.
Because of that law, Americans with disabilities have
gained greater access to public places. They have more
options in choosing their homes, using public
transportation, traveling and staying in hotels.
Many have joined the work force, thanks to reasonable
accommodations made by their employers. This has made our
country a fairer society, more considerate and welcoming to
all our citizens.
As people with disabilities find more opportunities to use
their gifts and talents, we also become a stronger, more
productive nation. Some barriers remain, however. And as
long as they stand, our work is unfinished.
In February, I announced a plan called the New Freedom
Initiative to expand even further the opportunities
available to people with disabilities. This initiative will
help more Americans with disabilities enter the work force
by improving transportation, or making it easier to work
from home. It will encourage private companies to develop
new assistive technologies, like computer monitors for
people with visual impairments, infrared pointers for
people who cannot use their hands to operate a keyboard,
and lighter wheelchairs to increase mobility. And my New
Freedom Initiative will help community groups, churches,
synagogues, mosques and civic organizations to improve
access for people with disabilities.
Many of these groups are trying their best to meet the
requirements of ADA, and we will help them. We must also
work to ensure that people with disabilities are not
arbitrarily isolated or kept apart. I recently signed an
executive order requiring federal agencies to work with
state and local authorities to allow people with
disabilities to move out of institutions and into community
settings.
I've also instructed the Attorney General and the Secretary
of Health and Human Services to fully enforce Title II of
the Americans with Disabilities Act, ensuring that no one
is unjustifiably institutionalized.
My administration is also committed to requiring all
federal agencies to make sure that their Internet sites are
more accessible for people with disabilities, both inside
and outside the government.
We have made significant progress in advancing the New
Freedom Initiative. But some of these reforms will require
the Congress to provide the resources we need to fully
implement the New Freedom Initiative and fulfill the
promise of ADA.
All of these efforts will build on the progress we have
made as a society since the Americans With Disabilities Act
became law. During the last 11 years, we have opened the
doors of opportunity to millions of people with
disabilities; and, together, we can ensure that everyone
with a disability enjoys the respect that all citizens
deserve.
Thank you for listening.
END
=======================
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
July 26, 2001
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
Eleven years ago today, people from across America gathered
to celebrate the signing of the Americans with Disabilities
Act of 1990 (ADA), one of the Nation's most important civil
rights laws since the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The ADA
opened up the true promise of America to people with
disabilities who, for far too long, have found impediments
to getting an education, getting a job, or just getting
around.
I am proud that my father saw the need for a comprehensive
law to liberate the energies and talents of people with
disabilities, and who worked with the Congress to make the
ADA a reality.
Much has been accomplished in the past 11 years. Attitudes
are changing and barriers are coming down all across
America. Employers now provide a range of "accommodations"
to ensure that employees with disabilities can keep their
place in the wage-earning world, resulting in unprecedented
economic opportunities. And, outside of the workplace, the
promise of the ADA, coupled with the entrepreneurial spirit
of the private sector, has enabled people with disabilities
to enjoy much greater access to a wide range of affordable
travel, recreational opportunities, and life-enriching
services.
Because of the ADA, people with disabilities are gaining
equal access to public sector services. And the public
sector has rallied to the ADA's goals. From improving
access at town halls and courthouses to providing
accessible parking to assistive listening devices at public
meetings,
States and local governments have developed some of the
most innovative and meaningful responses to the ADA. In
addition, my Administration is committed to full and
effective implementation of Section 508 of the
Rehabilitation Act, which will help ensure that people of
all abilities can access government information and online
services. My Administration is
working closely with State and local governments to move
people with disabilities out of
institutions and into community-based settings, going above
and beyond the requirements of the Supreme Court's landmark
Olmstead decision.
In fact, the message of the ADA is being heard all around
the world. Over 40 countries, from Australia to Uganda,
now have laws prohibiting discrimination against people
with disabilities -- many of them inspired by the ADA.
Although we have accomplished much because of the ADA, our
job is far from done. People with disabilities are far more
likely than other Americans to drop out of high school or
to suffer from poverty and unemployment. They are far less
likely to own a home, to use a computer to
explore the Internet, or to vote.
Earlier this year, I proposed the New Freedom Initiative.
It is the next step in securing the promise of the ADA. The
New Freedom Initiative will help ensure that Americans with
disabilities can access the best technologies of today and
even better technologies in the future. We will expand
educational opportunities and accessible transportation and
take steps to fully
integrate people with disabilities into the workforce. We
will expand housing opportunities and improve access to
churches, mosques, synagogues, and civic organizations. And
we will fully enforce the ADA while working in partnership
with businesses, States, and local governments to promote
the highest possible degree of voluntary cooperation.
The Americans with Disabilities Act was an unprecedented
step forward in promoting freedom, independence, and
dignity for millions of our people. On this, the 11th
anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, I
remain committed to tearing down the remaining barriers to
equality that face Americans with disabilities today.
GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE,
July 26, 2001.
Office of the Press Secretary
Saturday, July 28, 2001
RADIO ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT
TO THE NATION
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This past week, our country
marked the 11th anniversary of the Americans with
Disabilities Act. I'm proud that it was my father who
signed that landmark legislation into law. And all
Americans can take pride in the changes the ADA has brought
into the lives of millions of citizens with disabilities.
Because of that law, Americans with disabilities have
gained greater access to public places. They have more
options in choosing their homes, using public
transportation, traveling and staying in hotels.
Many have joined the work force, thanks to reasonable
accommodations made by their employers. This has made our
country a fairer society, more considerate and welcoming to
all our citizens.
As people with disabilities find more opportunities to use
their gifts and talents, we also become a stronger, more
productive nation. Some barriers remain, however. And as
long as they stand, our work is unfinished.
In February, I announced a plan called the New Freedom
Initiative to expand even further the opportunities
available to people with disabilities. This initiative will
help more Americans with disabilities enter the work force
by improving transportation, or making it easier to work
from home. It will encourage private companies to develop
new assistive technologies, like computer monitors for
people with visual impairments, infrared pointers for
people who cannot use their hands to operate a keyboard,
and lighter wheelchairs to increase mobility. And my New
Freedom Initiative will help community groups, churches,
synagogues, mosques and civic organizations to improve
access for people with disabilities.
Many of these groups are trying their best to meet the
requirements of ADA, and we will help them. We must also
work to ensure that people with disabilities are not
arbitrarily isolated or kept apart. I recently signed an
executive order requiring federal agencies to work with
state and local authorities to allow people with
disabilities to move out of institutions and into community
settings.
I've also instructed the Attorney General and the Secretary
of Health and Human Services to fully enforce Title II of
the Americans with Disabilities Act, ensuring that no one
is unjustifiably institutionalized.
My administration is also committed to requiring all
federal agencies to make sure that their Internet sites are
more accessible for people with disabilities, both inside
and outside the government.
We have made significant progress in advancing the New
Freedom Initiative. But some of these reforms will require
the Congress to provide the resources we need to fully
implement the New Freedom Initiative and fulfill the
promise of ADA.
All of these efforts will build on the progress we have
made as a society since the Americans With Disabilities Act
became law. During the last 11 years, we have opened the
doors of opportunity to millions of people with
disabilities; and, together, we can ensure that everyone
with a disability enjoys the respect that all citizens
deserve.
Thank you for listening.
END
=======================
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
July 26, 2001
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
Eleven years ago today, people from across America gathered
to celebrate the signing of the Americans with Disabilities
Act of 1990 (ADA), one of the Nation's most important civil
rights laws since the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The ADA
opened up the true promise of America to people with
disabilities who, for far too long, have found impediments
to getting an education, getting a job, or just getting
around.
I am proud that my father saw the need for a comprehensive
law to liberate the energies and talents of people with
disabilities, and who worked with the Congress to make the
ADA a reality.
Much has been accomplished in the past 11 years. Attitudes
are changing and barriers are coming down all across
America. Employers now provide a range of "accommodations"
to ensure that employees with disabilities can keep their
place in the wage-earning world, resulting in unprecedented
economic opportunities. And, outside of the workplace, the
promise of the ADA, coupled with the entrepreneurial spirit
of the private sector, has enabled people with disabilities
to enjoy much greater access to a wide range of affordable
travel, recreational opportunities, and life-enriching
services.
Because of the ADA, people with disabilities are gaining
equal access to public sector services. And the public
sector has rallied to the ADA's goals. From improving
access at town halls and courthouses to providing
accessible parking to assistive listening devices at public
meetings,
States and local governments have developed some of the
most innovative and meaningful responses to the ADA. In
addition, my Administration is committed to full and
effective implementation of Section 508 of the
Rehabilitation Act, which will help ensure that people of
all abilities can access government information and online
services. My Administration is
working closely with State and local governments to move
people with disabilities out of
institutions and into community-based settings, going above
and beyond the requirements of the Supreme Court's landmark
Olmstead decision.
In fact, the message of the ADA is being heard all around
the world. Over 40 countries, from Australia to Uganda,
now have laws prohibiting discrimination against people
with disabilities -- many of them inspired by the ADA.
Although we have accomplished much because of the ADA, our
job is far from done. People with disabilities are far more
likely than other Americans to drop out of high school or
to suffer from poverty and unemployment. They are far less
likely to own a home, to use a computer to
explore the Internet, or to vote.
Earlier this year, I proposed the New Freedom Initiative.
It is the next step in securing the promise of the ADA. The
New Freedom Initiative will help ensure that Americans with
disabilities can access the best technologies of today and
even better technologies in the future. We will expand
educational opportunities and accessible transportation and
take steps to fully
integrate people with disabilities into the workforce. We
will expand housing opportunities and improve access to
churches, mosques, synagogues, and civic organizations. And
we will fully enforce the ADA while working in partnership
with businesses, States, and local governments to promote
the highest possible degree of voluntary cooperation.
The Americans with Disabilities Act was an unprecedented
step forward in promoting freedom, independence, and
dignity for millions of our people. On this, the 11th
anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, I
remain committed to tearing down the remaining barriers to
equality that face Americans with disabilities today.
GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE,
July 26, 2001.