CLINTON: See previous post- I'm voting for Hillary
OBAMA:
CHICAGO, IL Senator Barack Obama today released the following
statement on the Seventeenth Anniversary of the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA):
"On July 26, 1990 the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a law
that aimed to ensure that Americans with disabilities have equal
access to the American Dream, was signed into law. As a former
civil rights lawyer, I know firsthand the importance of strong
legal protections against discrimination and an abiding commitment
to equal opportunity. As we celebrate the ADA's anniversary today,
we must also re-commit ourselves to strengthening the law and
enforcing it more vigorously and effectively.
"The ADA declared that people with disabilities are welcome
throughout American society. The ADA assumed, rather than doubted,
that people with disabilities can be productive workers
contributing to our economy and the support of their families.
Perhaps most important, the ADA was a formal acknowledgment that
people with disabilities are American citizens with the same
rights as other Americans: a right to belong, a right to
participate fully in the American experience, and a right to have
dignity and respect in the workplace and beyond.
"This right is not just something to celebrate today, it's
something we must work to uphold in the months to come. We must
overcome the Supreme Court decisions that have weakened this right
by making the ADA Restoration Act the law of the land a law that
will bring us closer to the ADA's ideal of barring discrimination
against anyone on the basis of disability."
SOURCE: Obama for America
EDWARDS:
Calls for strengthening the law
Chapel Hill, North Carolina – On the eve of the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Senator John Edwards called for Congress to pass new legislation strengthening the ADA. At the same time, Edwards' campaign announced that he had been endorsed by several prominent leaders in the disability rights movement.
"As we prepare to celebrate the 17th anniversary of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act, we must reclaim the ADA. Hostile, conservative judges have put new barriers in front of Americans with disabilities who seeking nothing more than the right to work and live with dignity," said Edwards. "Congress should pass the ADA Restoration Act to ensure that the law remains consistent with Congress' original intent and restore civil rights protections to people with epilepsy, depression, diabetes, cancer and other conditions."
Edwards has long supported initiatives to break down the barriers that separate people from disabilities from opportunity in America, including:
- Enforcing the right of every child to receive a free and appropriate education in schools that are fully accessible.
- Creating new internship and mentoring programs that break down barriers for young people making the transition from school to work.
- Providing accessible transportation so people with disabilities have a way to get to work.
- Making the federal government a model employer to lead the way toward a fully-inclusive American workplace.
- Securing the rights of people with disabilities to live independently with the services and supports they need, which is essential to guaranteeing equal opportunity.
Edwards is also committed to including closed captions on all campaign television advertisements and is in the process of captioning all videos on JohnEdwards.com. The campaign's Web site is designed to be accessible to all visitors.
"Many people with disabilities live in poverty because they are denied full and equal opportunities in education and employment. Their transportation needs are ignored. They also face discriminatory and dehumanizing inequities in health care," said Laurie McCray, New Hampshire parent advocate. "I am confident that as president, John Edwards will be a strong and compassionate advocate for people with disabilities so they can have successful and meaningful lives."
California Democratic Party Disabilities Caucus Chair August J.P. Longo said, "Senator Edwards never forgetting to include people with disabilities in his speeches and platform tells us that he will not forget us in his Administration."
"During the days when ADA was being considered I wrote to Senators and Representatives regarding this important legislation. Now as we celebrate the anniversary of the ADA I can say that I did that. That is the type of action that John Edwards inspires all of us to take" said Jon Raiss, Michigan Democratic Party Disabilities Caucus Chair.
SOURCE: JohnEdwards.com
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