The publication is reproduced in full below:
IN HONOR OF THE 31ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
OF 1990
______
HON. DANNY K. DAVIS
of illinois
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, July 27, 2021
Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I wish to honor the 31st Anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The law prohibits discrimination by private and public institutions toward citizens with disabilities, mandating that any entity covered by the law take reasonable steps to make their property, lines of communication, and employment accessible to persons with disabilities. In the two decades since the law's passage, it has opened the door for million Americans to participate more fully in day-to-day activities and to pursue opportunities in society. One out of every five American households has a family member who has a physical or cognitive disability. This historic bill expanded access to physical buildings and countless activities, easing the ability of these citizens to go about their daily lives freely without concern that they will be denied access to a school, shopping center, business, or communication device. Access is a freedom that everyone should enjoy, and I am proud to celebrate two decades of a law designed to promote this freedom for so many. I am proud that many of the accommodations that resulted from this law are considered commonplace now.
My Congressional District has long supported the efforts to promote equal civil rights. Chicago has been a leader in the movement to improve the livelihood of Americans with disabilities.
The Affordable Care Act included legislative provisions from my bill H.R. 1670, the Community First Choice Option, which allows states to include within their Medicaid State Plans an option to receive community-based services for individuals with disabilities who are eligible for nursing homes and other institutional settings. The Community First Choice Option gives people the choice to leave facilities and institutions for their own homes and communities with appropriate, cost effective services and supports. We should build on the precedent set 3 decades ago with the enactment of the ADA by giving Americans with disabilities the freedom to choose where they live.
Equality is a founding principle of our country. It has been an arduous process for many groups of people--from the Emancipation Proclamation to the Nineteenth Amendment for women's suffrage to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 was another milestone in equality for our Nation. Thousands of individuals worked in earnest to make this law possible, and thousands continue to champion this law's implementation. For these efforts, we honor the 31st Anniversary of the enactment of the revolutionary bill.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 131
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