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122245432
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Revisions for Issue Briefs, 11/96: Issue Briefs: Americans with Disabilities
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122245432
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Revisions for Issue Briefs, 11/96: Issue Briefs: Americans with Disabilities
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Records of the Office of Communications (Clinton Administration)
Ann Walker's Files
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FOIA Number: 2007-0143-F
FOIA
MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the William J. Clinton
Presidential Library Staff.
Collection/Record Group:
Clinton Presidential Records
Subgroup/Office of Origin:
Communications
Series/Staff Member:
Ann Walker
Subseries:
OA/ID Number:
12967
FolderID:
Folder Title:
Revisions for Issue Briefs, 11/96: Issue Briefs: Americans with Disabilities
Stack:
Row:
Section:
Shelf:
Position:
S
90
1
4
3
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
26-Sep-1996 10:43am
TO:
Ann F. Walker
FROM:
Diana M. Fortuna
Domestic Policy Council
CC:
William White
SUBJECT:
Disability issue brief/talking points
We should add to our issue brief/talking points on disability
policy one new item: the mental health parity provision that the
President is signing into law today as part of VA/HUD. I don't
know who has control of the document at this point -- I assume
it's you rather than me -- but let me know if you want me to fold
it in. It's definitely an important achievement for a major
segment of the disability community.
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES
Add #1: Mental Health Parity: Largely due to the work of the Administration, health plans can no longer
establish separate lifetime and annual limits for mental health coverage.
Add #2: Health Insurance: Signed the Kennedy-Kassebaum health insurance reform bill, which prohibits
insurance companies from denying coverage due to pre-existing conditions.
Delete #1: The President has proposed a balanced budget that maintains meaningful health benefits for people
with disabilities and supports insurance reforms to prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage because
of pre-existing conditions.
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES
"Opportunity is critical to what we have to do as a nation to meet the great
challenges we face and to move forward into the next century We will not
allow Americans with disabilities to be kept from realizing their dreams by
closed doors or narrow minds."
President Bill Clinton
July 26, 1995
President Clinton came to Washington with a plan to put people first by making the
government more accountable and accessible to all Americans, including those with
disabilities. From the White House to every federal agency, this Administration has
demonstrated an unprecedented commitment to address the concerns of Americans with
disabilities. The President is committed to supporting the 49 million Americans with
disabilities in their efforts to exercise their full rights and responsibilities, to live as
independently as possible and to be productive throughout their lives.
A RECORD OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Fighting Discrimination: Under President Clinton, federal agencies have
vigorously enforced the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act and other critical civil rights laws that prohibit
discrimination against people with disabilities in schools, workplaces and public
areas across the nation. President Clinton strongly opposes attempts to weaken
these laws.
Protecting Health Care: The Clinton Administration refuses to go backwards on
health care coverage for Americans with disabilities and has rejected proposals to
end the Medicaid guarantee to meaningful health benefits for people with
disabilities. President Clinton has preserved Medicaid coverage for 6 million
persons with disabilities, including 1 million children. Without Medicaid, many
families would have to impoverish themselves to pay for a child's medical care,
give up their jobs to stay home to care for a child or seek placement in an
institution. Medicaid is often the only form of health care available to people with
disabilities and allows many children and adults to receive services at home rather
than in institutions.
Improving Education for Children with Disabilities: President Clinton is
fighting to increase the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act's focus on
educational results for children and cutting unnecessary paperwork so that more
time can be spent on teaching and learning. The Administration has recommended
a 12% increase above the 1996 funding level for the basic state grant program and
opposes weakening the guarantee of a right to education for children with
disabilities.
Increasing Home and Community-Based Programs: The Clinton
Administration's flexibility in granting state waivers has spurred an increase in
home and community-based services. As a result, the number of people with
developmental or cognitive disabilities served in home and community waiver
programs nearly doubled to 122,000 in 1994.
Support for Families: President Clinton fought for and enacted the Family and
Medical Leave Act making workplaces more accommodating for many families that
include a child or adult with a disability. In 1995, the President vetoed a budget bill
that would have significantly cut cash assistance to most families with disabled
children on Social Security -- families who are struggling to care for a child at home
and face extra costs for home modifications, equipment and income lost because a
parent is unable to work full-time.
Increasing Access: By enacting the National Voter Registration Act and the
Telecommunications Reform Act, President Clinton has made voting easier and
communications technology more accessible for Americans with disabilities.
Transportation and Housing: The Clinton Administration is helping to connect
people with disabilities to employment, educational opportunities and a full range of
public activities by ensuring that Americans with Disabilities Act and Fair Housing
Act requirements for accessible bus and rail transit systems, paratransit services and
housing are fully implemented.
Employment of People with Disabilities: The Clinton Administration is offering
individuals with disabilities the opportunity to increase their independence through
rehabilitation services and work incentive programs.
Appointees with Disabilities: The President has appointed an impressive group of
people with disabilities to high-level policy-making positions, including many
people prominent in the disability community. Many of these appointments are to
key positions that are not directly related to disability issues.
SEE ADD
THE CHALLENGES AHEAD: #1 $2
Under President Clinton, federal agencies will continue to vigorously enforce the
Americans with Disabilities Act with a balanced approach that emphasizes
voluntary compliance wherever possible.
The President has proposed a balanced budget that maintains meaningful health
benefits for people with disabilities and supports insurance reforms to prohibit
insurance companies from denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions.
SEE DELETE #1
President Clinton is committed to expanding employment options for people with
disabilities and challenging all Americans to understand that people with disabilities
can contribute to this country when given access to the workplace, health care,
community services and technology.
The Clinton Administration will work to maintain a strong Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act for children with disabilities and to improve educational
results for students with disabilities.
July 1996