For those of us active in the struggle for passage of the Americans
with Disabilities Act(ADA), the election of George Bush as President
looked like a real setback. But the Disabled Community doubled down,
rather than backing down, and the new president bowed to their
combined pressure. The passage of the ADA must be a reminder of what
the American People can accomplish when they put their minds to it.
Here are the words of George Bush as he prepared to sign the ADA:
Remarks of President George Bush at the Signing of the Americans with
Disabilities Act
Evan, thank you so much. And welcome to every one of you, out there in
this splendid scene of hope, spread across the South Lawn of the White
House. I
want to salute the Members of the United States Congress, the House
and the Senate who are with us today -- active participants in making
this day come
true. This is, indeed, an incredible day -- especially for the
thousands of people across the Nation who have given so much of their
time, their vision,
and their courage to see this act become a reality.
You know, I started trying to put together a list of all the people
who should be mentioned today. But when the list started looking a
little longer than
the Senate testimony for the bill, I decided I better give up, or that
we'd never get out of here before sunset. So, even though so many
deserve credit,
I will single out but a tiny handful. And I take those who have guided
me personally over the years: of course, my friends Evan Kemp and
Justin Dart, up
here on the platform with me; and of course -- I hope you'll forgive
me for also saying a special word of thanks to two from the White
House, but again,
this is personal, so I don't want to offend those omitted -- two from
the White House, Boyden Gray and Bill Roper, who labored long and
hard. And I want
to thank Sandy Parrino, of course, for her leadership. And I again --
it is very risky with all these Members of Congress here who worked so
hard, but
I can say on a very personal basis, Bob Dole has inspired me.
This is an immensely important day, a day that belongs to all of you.
Everywhere I look, I see people who have dedicated themselves to
making sure that
this day would come to pass: my friends from Congress, as I say, who
worked so diligently with the best interest of all at heart, Democrats
and Republicans;
members of this administration -- and I'm pleased to see so many top
officials and members of my Cabinet here today who brought their
caring and expertise
to this fight; and then, the organizations -- so many dedicated
organizations for people with disabilities, who gave their time and
their strength; and
perhaps most of all, everyone out there and others -- across the
breadth of this nation are 43 million Americans with disabilities. You
have made this
happen. All of you have made this happen. To all of you, I just want
to say your triumph is that your bill will now be law, and that this
day belongs to
you. On behalf of our nation, thank you very, very much.
Three weeks ago we celebrated our nation's Independence Day. Today
we're here to rejoice in and celebrate another ``independence day,''
one that is long
overdue. With today's signing of the landmark Americans for
Disabilities Act, every man, woman, and child with a disability can
now pass through once-closed
doors into a bright new era of equality, independence, and freedom. As
I look around at all these joyous faces, I remember clearly how many
years of dedicated
commitment have gone into making this historic new civil rights act a
reality. It's been the work of a true coalition, a strong and
inspiring coalition
of people who have shared both a dream and a passionate determination
to make that dream come true. It's been a coalition in the finest
spirit -- a joining
of Democrats and Republicans, of the legislative and the executive
branches, of Federal and State agencies, of public officials and
private citizens, of
people with disabilities and without.
This historic act is the world's first comprehensive declaration of
equality for people with disabilities -- the first. Its passage has
made the United
States the international leader on this human rights issue. Already,
leaders of several other countries, including Sweden, Japan, the
Soviet Union, and
all 12 members of the EEC, have announced that they hope to enact now
similar legislation.
Our success with this act proves that we are keeping faith with the
spirit of our courageous forefathers who wrote in the Declaration of
Independence:
``We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created
equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
rights.'' These
words have been our guide for more than two centuries as we've labored
to form our more perfect union. But tragically, for too many
Americans, the blessings
of liberty have been limited or even denied. The Civil Rights Act of
'64 took a bold step towards righting that wrong. But the stark fact
remained that
people with disabilities were still victims of segregation and
discrimination, and this was intolerable. Today's legislation brings
us closer to that day
when no Americans will ever again be deprived of their basic guarantee
of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
This act is powerful in its simplicity. It will ensure that people
with disabilities are given the basic guarantees for which they have
worked so long
and so hard: independence, freedom of choice, control of their lives,
the opportunity to blend fully and equally into the rich mosaic of the
American mainstream.
Legally, it will provide our disabled community with a powerful
expansion of protections and then basic civil rights. It will
guarantee fair and just access
to the fruits of American life which we all must be able to enjoy. And
then, specifically, first the ADA ensures that employers covered by
the act cannot
discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities. Second,
the ADA ensures access to public accommodations such as restaurants,
hotels, shopping
centers, and offices. And third, the ADA ensures expanded access to
transportation services. And fourth, the ADA ensures equivalent
telephone services
for people with speech or hearing impediments.
These provisions mean so much to so many. To one brave girl in
particular, they will mean the world. Lisa Carl, a young Washington
State woman with cerebral
palsy, who I'm told is with us today, now will always be admitted to
her hometown theater. Lisa, you might not have been welcome at your
theater, but I'll
tell you -- welcome to the White House. We're glad you're here. The
ADA is a dramatic renewal not only for those with disabilities but for
all of us, because
along with the precious privilege of being an American comes a sacred
duty to ensure that every other American's rights are also guaranteed.
Together, we must remove the physical barriers we have created and the
social barriers that we have accepted. For ours will never be a truly
prosperous
nation until all within it prosper. For inspiration, we need look no
further than our own neighbors. With us in that wonderful crowd out
there are people
representing 18 of the daily Points of Light that I've named for their
extraordinary involvement with the disabled community. We applaud you
and your shining
example. Thank you for your leadership for all that are here today.
Now, let me just tell you a wonderful story, a story about children
already working in the spirit of the ADA -- a story that really
touched me. Across
the Nation, some 10,000 youngsters with disabilities are part of
Little League's Challenger Division. Their teams play just like
others, but -- and this
is the most remarkable part -- as they play, at their sides are
volunteer buddies from conventional Little League teams. All of these
players work together.
They team up to wheel around the bases and to field grounders together
and, most of all, just to play and become friends. We must let these
children be
our guides and inspiration.
I also want to say a special word to our friends in the business
community. You have in your hands the key to the success of this act,
for you can unlock
a splendid resource of untapped human potential that, when freed, will
enrich us all. I know there have been concerns that the ADA may be
vague or costly,
or may lead endlessly to litigation. But I want to reassure you right
now that my administration and the United States Congress have
carefully crafted
this Act. We've all been determined to ensure that it gives
flexibility, particularly in terms of the timetable of implementation,
and we've been committed
to containing the costs that may be incurred.
This act does something important for American business, though -- and
remember this: You've called for new sources of workers. Well, many of
our fellow
citizens with disabilities are unemployed. They want to work, and they
can work, and this is a tremendous pool of people. And remember, this
is a tremendous
pool of people who will bring to jobs diversity, loyalty, proven low
turnover rate, and only one request: the chance to prove themselves.
And when you
add together Federal, State, local, and private funds, it costs almost
$200 billion annually to support Americans with disabilities -- in
effect, to keep
them dependent. Well, when given the opportunity to be independent,
they will move proudly into the economic mainstream of American life,
and that's what
this legislation is all about.
Our problems are large, but our unified heart is larger. Our
challenges are great, but our will is greater. And in our America, the
most generous, optimistic
nation on the face of the Earth, we must not and will not rest until
every man and woman with a dream has the means to achieve it.
And 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.
