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Originally Processed With FOIA(s): FOIA Number: S S FOIA MARKER This is not a textual record. This is used as an administrative marker by the George Bush Presidential Library Staff. Record Group/Collection: Donated Historical Materials Collection/Office of Origin: Frieden, Lex, Collection Series: Government Records Subseries: Printed Material OA/ID Number: 52021 Folder ID Number: 52021-001 Folder Title: "From ADA to Empowerment" [Task Force on the Rights and Empowerment of Americans with Disabilities] [1990-1991] Stack: Row: Section: Shelf: Position: G 5 2 3 7 TASK FORCE ON THE RIGHTS AND EMPOWERMENT OF AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES 907 6th Street, S.W., Suite 516C, Washington, D.C. 20024 (202) 488-7684 Voice (202) 863-0010 FAX (202) 484-1370 TDD Appointed by Congressman Major R. Owens, Chairman, House Subcommittee on Select Education MEMBERS Justin Dart Chairperson July 26, 1991 Happy Independence Day II! tfcover.cna Elizabeth Boggs, Ph.D. Co-Chairperson Dear dollars Lex Frieden Coordinator Enclosed is "From ADA to Empowerment," the final report of the Task Force on the Rights and Empowerment of Americans with Disabilities. Elmer Bartels Wade Blank David Bodenstein The members of the Task Force join 43 million Americans with disabilities in Frank Bowe, Ph.D. congratulating you on your effective advocacy for the Americans with Disabilities Marca Bristo Dale Brown Act - the world's first comprehensive civil rights law for people with disabilities Philip B. Calkins, Ph.D. by any nation. And we thank each one of you who gave your time, money and David M. Capozzi, Esq. ability to enable the Task Force to hold public forums in every state and to make Julie Clay 12 reports to Congress without any public funding. You have made the democratic Susan Daniels, Ph.D. James DeJong process work. We feel so strongly about your contributions that we have Eliot Dober placed your name on the cover of our report. Don Galloway Keith Gann Although the Task Force has completed its mission, the members and the James Havel I. King Jordan, Ph.D. constituency organizations which they represent look forward to working closely Paul Marchand with you during the critical years of implementation. Connie Martinez Celane McWhorter Oral Miller America is watching. The world is watching. If ADA fades quietly into the Gary Olsen national archives, if it is not implemented in real life, the world will conclude that Mary Jane Owen equality doesn't work for people with disabilities, and the cause of empowerment Sandra S. Parrino could be set back a generation or more. Ed Roberts Joseph Rogers Liz Savage Celebrate ADA! Shout its message in living rooms, schools, churches, William A. Spencer, M.D. businesses, communities, governments and the public media. Implement ADA! Marilyn Price Spivack Ann Vinup Keep the promises of ADA by creating a cultural environment in which all people Sylvia Walker, Ed.D. with disabilities can empower themselves as equal and productive participants in Patrisha Wright the American dream. Tony Young Let us unite in action as never before. Together we have overcome. Together we VOLUNTEER STAFF shall overcome. Douglas Burleigh, Ph.D. Gwyneth Rochlin SUBCOMMITTEE LIAISONS Maria Cuprill Robert Tate Patricia Laird John Don't Garden Bings Freden Justin Dart Elizabeth M. Boggs Lex Frieden EQUAL ACCESS TO THE AMERICAN DREAM EMPLOYMENT The President's Committee on Employment of People With Disabilities SECURITY JUSTIN W. DART, JR. Chairman Suite 636 202-653-5044 VOICE 1111 20th Street, N.W. 202-653-5050 TDD Washington, D.C. 20036-3470 202-653-7386 FAX Dignity, Equality, Independence Through Employment Mr. President, by signing the new A.P.A / you ago today, in effect promised opportunity behalf to those you of us with disablities. now, on our of 43,000,000 americans with disablities, families and friends, d am proud to report to that we are Diezing that opportunity, we and you we will continue to do so as strive to become fully participating contributing citizens in our communities, our states, and our nation. on behalf of us all D am honored to present you with this book containing signatures of more than 6,000 people with disablities the signatures are only symbolic representing These every state and teritory our gratitude for your encouragement and of leadership and encouragement to us. the inscription on the cover of the book reads which Americans with disablities have JH STOUFFER HOTELS & RESORTS A Nestlé Company MR. PRESIDENT, WE APPRECIATE YOUR VISIBLE AND SENSITIVE LEADERSHIP TO EMPOWER PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AS FULL PARTICIPANTS IN THE AMERICAN DREAM. WE WANT TO PRESENT TO YOU THESE LEATHER BOOKS BEARING THE NAMES OF MORE THAN 6,000 AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES FROM EVERY STATE. I WOULD LIKE TO READ YOU THE INSCRIPTION: LET THE SHAMEFUL WALL OF EXCLUSION FINALLY COME TUMBLING DOWN. THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, JULY 26, 1990 THE REPRESENTATIVES OF FORTY-THREE MILLION AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES CONGRATULATE PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH ON HIS HISTORIC LEADERSHIP FOR THE ENACTMENT OF THE WORLD'S FIRST COMPREHENSIVE CIVIL RIGHTS LAW FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON August 8, 1991 Dear Friend, on July 26, 1991, President Bush was joined by Attorney General Thornburgh and Secretary Sullivan in a Rose Garden ceremony to commemorate the First Anniversary of the American's with Disabilities Act (ADA). Calling ADA a "fresh testimony to our nation's greatness", the President also announced that most federal regulations required for its implementation have been completed and are in final form. In this ceremony before national disability leaders, the President also announced his memorandum to Federal departments and agencies directing them to renew efforts to recruit and retain people with disabilities and in general to act as a model employer. The President announced, "I want all Federal agencies to review their programs, policies, and practices to ensure that people with disabilities are included in Federal programs, that they are recruited as Federal employees, and that incentives for productivity are encouraged". For your information and use, I have enclosed a copy of the President's remarks and a copy of this important directive. With the President's best wishes, Sincerely, Leigh Ane Mitager Leigh Ann Metzger Special Assistant to the President Office of Public Liaison This Sancting Shiree Sanchez Associate Director Office of Public Liaison THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release July 26, 1991 REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN CEREMONY FOR AMERICAN WITH DISABILITIES ACT The Rose Garden 10:04 A.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: First, may I greet the distinguished members of Congress here in the front rows, thank them for coming, thank them for their interest in the passage of this important legislation we're here to celebrate today, but also in their interest in following up on it. May I greet, also, the Attorney General Dick Thornburgh, and our Secretary of HHS Lou Sullivan and the Vice President, of course. He and I welcome you to the Rose Garden. And may I salute the other guests that are with us. And a special thanks today to the men and women from our business community. American corporations, you see, are a vital part of this team, and your support of the ADA is critical to its success. One year ago, I stood over there many of you present -- on the South Lawn. And I will never literally, never forget that sight or certainly the emotional feeling I felt on that day. Thousands of people from across the country had come to celebrate the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, one of the most comprehensive civil rights bills in the history of this country. And while people felt a justifiable sense of triumph last year, you also could see a feeling of eager impatience. After all, the signing of the ADA didn't mark the end of a long struggle, it marked, really, a beginning. Some of you here today joined me on the South Lawn, as I mentioned, a year ago, and we've made tremendous advances since that ceremony. We've introduced changes that will transform people's worlds. The ADA has also helped us -- all of us -- to understand a little bit more about ourselves. It reminds us that along with the privilege of being an American comes a duty, to recognize and defend the rights of every American. This bill does more than make the American dream of equality a reality for 43 million Americans with disabilities. It offers, in a sense, fresh testimony to our nation's greatness. It demonstrates how we can advance the cause of civil rights. It shows what can happen when we work together -- drawing upon the fundamental decency of the American people. The quest for civil rights is not a zero-sum game. It shouldn't mean advancing some at the expense of others. The quest for civil rights is a quest for individual rights and equal opportunity and it's a crusade to throw open the doors of opportunity and tear down the walls of bigotry. The ADA works because it calls upon the best in the American people -- and then Americans respond. It works because it embodies what must be at the heart of all civil rights struggles -- the spirit of inclusiveness, the devotion to individual rights and equal opportunity. That devotion runs deep in our nation. We are the land of opportunity and always have been. MORE Our Constitution and our courts pledge equal protection under the law. But equally important, our people believe in legal equality -- and many try to broaden opportunity in little ways, by reaching out to capable people and giving them a chance giving them a fair chance. America must be a country where the sons and daughters of poverty have the same grasp on the American dream as the children of privilege. And it must be a land where a child can overcome any obstacle and fulfill his or her own potential. We see this promise fulfilled by a man I presented to this nation four weeks ago. And we can be proud to live in a country whose highest court will include a man who understands the importance of basic American values tolerance, industry and decency. And I'm speaking, of course, of my nominee to the court, Clarence Thomas. While Judge Thomas was at the EEOC, he compiled an excellent record on disability issues, with which I hope all of you are familiar. But his life illustrates the principle that inspires all civil rights bills the principle that we must throw open the doors of opportunity to everyone. And this spirit should guide us as we pursue all civil rights legislation -- for our greatest strength lies in our ability to work together and honor the shared values we treasure. We have worked together this last year. And in so doing, we've understood more fully just how much people with disabilities have to offer. We've demonstrated that social progress includes economic growth and that both play essential roles in the American dream. Businesses support the ADA because it gives everyone a chance to be productive in the workplace. It broadens our economic mainstream. It enables society to benefit from the wisdom, energy and industry of people who want just one thing a fair chance. And while we've made a strong start, we have much to do. As long as the doors of opportunity are closed to even one American we must keep working at it. The passage of the ADA, the world's first declaration of equality for people with disabilities, made this country the international leader on this human rights issue. And now the world is watching to see how we use this act -- how we remove the physical barriers we've created and the social barriers that we've accepted. Our success or failure in keeping the promise of the ADA will affect the lives of hundreds of millions of people with disabilities not just here in the United States but throughout the world. Our challenges remain great, but our will is even greater. In America the most generous, optimistic nation on the face of the earth we will not rest until every man and woman and child with a dream has a fair chance to realize it. Most of this work will be done by individual Americans acting day by day to increase tolerance and understanding. But the ADA also required five federal agencies to come up with implementation regulation or guidelines. These regulations relating to employment, public accommodation, transportation and communications -- are key to the full implementation of ADA. And so I'm proud to announce that most of these federal regs will be issued today. All guidelines required of the Department of Justice, the EEOC, the FCC are in final form and those regarding transportation will be issued soon. I want to thank the people of the Executive Branch who have worked so hard to make the ADA a reality. And in addition, today I'm issuing a memorandum to federal departments and agencies. And it directs them to recruit people with disabilities as federal employees and to ensure that Americans with disabilities have access to federal programs. The MORE - 3 - federal government must serve as a model employer for the rest of the nation. And again, thank you all so very much for your work, for your dedication and for your devotion and your steadfast faith, and to many here, for your inspiring example. And may God bless you all. And thank you very, very much. (Applause.) END 10:12 A.M. EDT a THE WHITE HOUSE office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release July 26, 1991 July 26, 1991 MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES On July 26, 1990, I signed the "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, " and this Nation welcomed into the mainstream of life all of our fellow citizens with disabilities. As we move forward with the implementation of this landmark legislation, I ask you to look at what you have done, what you currently are doing, and what your plans are for the future to ensure people with disabilities are not excluded from the mainstream. Many of you have worked hard over the years to establish policies and initiatives to remove barriers that prevented people with disabilities from gaining access to programs and employment opportunities within the Federal Government. You have removed architectural and physical barriers and provided people with disabilities access to Government facilities and buildings. You have also made real change in employment policies and in the nature of Federal jobs to recognize the talents and skills of people with disabilities. In 1990, people with disabilities represented 6.9 percent of the Federal work force while they represented 3.6 percent of the civilian work force. However, there is still much work to be done. I want you to renew your efforts in this area and make a special pledge to. do everything possible to ensure that people with disabilities have the opportunities they deserve. I want all Federal agencies to review their programs, policies, and practices to ensure that people with disabilities are included in Federal programs, that they are recruited as Federal employees, and that incentives for productivity are encouraged. Also, I want you to share your experiences and success stories with the private sector so they can benefit from the lessons learned since the 1973 Rehabilitation Act was implemented within the Federal Government. The Federal Government must be a model for the rest of the country to ensure that people with disabili- ties are afforded opportunities to become full participants in our society. Recruitment, hiring, and career development must afford people with disabilities equal opportunities to achieve their highest potential and become contributing, productive members of the work force. People with disabilities represent a tremendous pool of talent. They bring to their work diversity in skills and commitment, with a simple request in return -- the chance to be a part of the mainstream of society. As a nation, we face a shortage of qualified workers in the coming years. Those of us who look beyond an individual's disability and, instead, focus on the ability will be better prepared to meet these new challenges. I know I can count on all of you in advancing the Federal Government as a model employer of people with disabilities. GEORGE BUSH House of Representatives Washington, D.C., April 30 90 ADMIT Lex TO THE VISITOR'S Frieden GALLERY For the Bicentennial Congress a work M D. Please see reverse side for Rules of the Gallery. ouse of Representatives; C Washington, D.C., April ADMIT 30 , 1990 the TO THE VISITOR'S GALLERY Brodie go the Bicentennial Congress for Mooker 2.0. Please see reverse side for Rules of the Gallery. United States Senate Chamber Washington, D.C. Admit To the hisitors gallery For 101ST CONGRESS Florged Benise PLURIBUS U SENATOR DAY II DEPARTMENT % ADA 466 WHITE HOUSE ROSE GARDEN CEREMONY any Bush From ADA To Empowerment America Needs You To Finish The Job The President of the United States welcomes you to the 44th Annual Meeting of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities Dallas, Texas, May 22-24, 1991 The President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities Justin Dart, Chairman Ralph "Chad" Colley, Vice-Chairperson Richard Douglas, Executive Director Dr. I. King Jordan, Vice-Chairperson Harold Russell, Chairman Emeritus Costa Miller, Vice-Chairperson Lenore Miller, Vice-Chairperson Executive Committee Members John Bollinger Lex Frieden Michael McMillan Charles Bradford Robert Jones Joseph Rogers Rear Admiral David Cooney Francine Wai Lee John Sloan Richard Dennis Dr. Richard Lesher Marian Schooling Vessels Ron Drach Grant Mack Richard Womack Jack Duncan Paul Marchand Michael Winter Darrell Farland Consuelo Martinez Martha Haines Ziegler Liaison Representatives 1991 Annual Meeting Jack Gannon Paul Roth, Chairperson Nancy Reed Fulco Kent Waldrep, Vice Chairperson Wendy Lechner Faith Kirk, 1991 Annual Meeting Director Recipients of 1991 Presidential Awards The President's Trophy Richard E. Crowder Jr. Other Presidential Awards Tony Coelho Lex Frieden RPR Associates Dr. Edwin B. Cooper Hot Diggity Dog Nancy Ann Ridder Steve Bartlett Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino Nequai Marsha Terry Hope Deutcher Dr. I. King Jordan John Charles Thorpe Crystal Edmonson Matthew J. Lengel U.S. Army Florida AFL-CIO Paul Marchand Aberdeen Proving Ground United Labor Agency Sandra Parrino Brian Van Winkle Patrisha Wright Recipients of the Harold Russell Medal Dr. Elizabeth Boggs Jeremiah Milbank Special Thanks A special "thank you" goes to our local hosts. They are: The Texas Governor's Committee for Disabled Persons, Jerry Cooper, Chair; The Dallas Mayor's Committee for Employment of People with Disabilities, Ed Rankin, Chair; The members of the 1991 Annual Meeting Planning Committee and, the many other volunteers, contributors and supporters who made this meeting happen. ON EMPLOYMENT The President's Committee on Employment of People With Disabilities Dignity, Equality, Independence Through Employment Dear Colleague: On behalf of President George Bush, I welcome you to the 44th Annual Meeting of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. Thanks to a great President and a great Congress, thanks to you, the Americans with Disabilities Act is law. ADA is a landmark in the evolution of human being, the world's first comprehensive civil rights law for people with disabilities by any nation. It holds the potential for the emancipation and productive independence of more than half a billion of the world's most oppressed people. But more than anything, ADA is a promise to be kept. Our task now is to keep that magnificent promise by empowering the millions of isolated, unemployed, welfare dependent Americans with disabilities to achieve their potential as fully equal, fully productive participants in the mainstream. This will not be easily or quickly accomplished. Success will require your leadership. We must join together, people with disabilities and their advocates, employers, service providers, operators of public facilities, government and all who love justice. We must implement ADA through full and harmonious compliance, with minimal expense and litigation, with maximal profit for all concerned. We must move forcefully from ADA to the empowerment of all people with disabilities in the American dream. America is watching. The world is watching. Because we are America our success or our failure to keep the promise of ADA will be copied everywhere. The quality of the lives of hundreds of millions in future generations hangs in the balance. We must not fail. We will not fail. I believe that because I believe in you. Together we have overcome. Together we shall overcome. Dat Justin Dart, Chairman ADVISORY COUNCIL The Secretary of State The Secretary of Commerce The Secretary of Transportation The Administrator of General Services The Secretary of the Treasury The Secretary of Labor The Secretary of Energy The Director of the Office The Secretary of Defense The Secretary of Health The Secretary of Education of Personnel Management The Attorney General and Human Services The Secretary of Veterans Affairs The Director of the United States The Secretary of the Interior The Secretary of Housing The Chairman of the Equal Employment Information Agency The Secretary of Agriculture and Urban Development Opportunity Commission The Postmaster General ay Bush From ADA To Empowerment President Bush Speaks Out "I'm going to do whatever it takes to make sure the disabled are included in the mainstream they're not going to be left out any more." "More than two-thirds of our fellow citizens who have disabilities are unemployed, and that is intolerable." "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." "I now lift my pen to sign this Americans with Disabilities Act and say, let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down." "This historic Act is the world's first declaration of equality for people with disabilities. Its passage has made the United States the international leader on this human rights issue." "Your hard work in gaining nationwide support for this legislation has contributed to its fairness and enactment. I join with all Americans in saluting you." "However the job is not yet finished. I look forward to working with all of you to uphold the magnificent promise of ADA by ensuring that people with disabilities are full participants in the mainstream of American life." "I 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 spendid resource of untapped human potential that, when freed, will enrich us all." "Together we must remove the physical barriers we have created and the social barriers we have accepted. For ours will never be a truly prosperous nation until all within it prosper." President George Bush Richard C. Douglas Richard C. Douglas (Rick) has recently joined The President's Committee as its Executive Director. He is from Vermont where he was head of Vocational Rehabilitation for six years. Vermont's programs, under Rick's direction, have been recognized nationally as being cutting edge through their involvement of employers and people with disabilities. New initiatives included Supported Employment, Independent Living, Attendant Services and statewide Business Advisory Councils. Prior to government experience, Rick was a marketing executive for Pitney-Bowes for five years and was for ten years, the director of advertising for British Airways (USA). His award winning advertising campaigns for British Airways helped to increase market share and gross sales by 400%. Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1974, Rick became increasingly involved with disability rights and advocacy. As a wheelchair user, he has fought for new laws on access, accommodation and employment at the state and national levels. Rick has developed new approaches toward eliminating attitudinal barriers and stigma using communications media with an emphasis on television. He developed the nation's first prime time cable television show on disabilities, "Beyond Disability" and has marched in support of the ADA on the streets of our nation's capitol. ON EMPLOYMENT The President's Committee on Employment of People With Disabilities Suite 636 1111 20th Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036-3470 202-653-5044 VOICE 202-653-5050 TDD 202-653-7386 FAX Dignity, Equality, Independence Through Employment FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR At The President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, we have an opportunity to set the agenda for the future regarding employment of our nation's 43 million citizens with disabilities. Here are the key goals we've set. First, determine market needs. Over the last few weeks our Chair, Justin Dart, and I have met with and/or teleconferenced with representatives from nearly all fifty states. What we are hearing from employers, people with disabilities and providers is helping us determine our direction. What people in the states are telling us is their needs for implementation of the Americans With Disabilities Act. Information on the ADA, Training, Public Information Campaigns and many other concerns have been outlined to us. Most states see a need for group consensus, the identification of a lead agency and the replication of workable ADA implementation strategies all the way down to the smallest towns and cities. Second, develop national ADA implementation models, provide materials not currently developed and create plans for dealing with employer concerns and those of other key publics. We are currently working with many other agencies and businesses to develop printed information, audio-visuals, training materials, public information campaigns, toll free access numbers and more. Third, initiate a national marketing plan. As we talked to our own President's Committee volunteers, those at our Governor's and Mayor's Committees, employers, independent living center representatives, advocates, rehabilitation professionals and other providers, we have been asked again and again to develop a national marketing plan and public information strategy. On one of our state visits, we heard from a lawyer who said, "The ADA should be about education, not litigation" The President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities will maximize its staff, resources and volunteers to keep the promise of ADA. Rick C. Daylar Richard C. Douglas ADVISORY COUNCIL The Secretary of State The Secretary of Commerce The Secretary of Transportation The Administrator of General Services The Secretary of the Treasury The Secretary of Labor The Secretary of Energy The Director of the Office The Secretary of Defense The Secretary of Health The Secretary of Education of Personnel Management The Attorney General and Human Services The Secretary of Veterans Affairs The Director of the United States The Secretary of the Interior The Secretary of Housing The Chairman of the Equal Employment Information Agency The Secretary of Agriculture and Urban Development Opportunity Commission The Postmaster General