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</style><title>Remarks of President George Bush at the Signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act</title><div class="original-url"><br><a href="https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/history/35th/videos/ada_signing_text.html">https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/history/35th/videos/ada_signing_text.html</a><br><br></div><div id="article" role="article" style="text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; font-family: -apple-system-font; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="system exported">
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<div class="page" style="text-align: start; word-wrap: break-word; max-width: 100%;"><h1 class="title" style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 1.95552em; line-height: 1.2141em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; text-align: start; display: block; max-width: 100%;">Remarks of President George Bush at the Signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act</h1><!-- insert content here -->
<p style="max-width: 100%;"> 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.</p>
<p style="max-width: 100%;"> 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.</p>
<p style="max-width: 100%;"> 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.</p>
<p style="max-width: 100%;"> 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.</p>
<p style="max-width: 100%;"> 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.</p>
<p style="max-width: 100%;"> 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.</p>
<p style="max-width: 100%;"> 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.</p>
<p style="max-width: 100%;"> 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.</p>
<p style="max-width: 100%;"> 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.</p>
<p style="max-width: 100%;"> 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.</p>
<p style="max-width: 100%;"> 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.</p>
<p style="max-width: 100%;"> 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.</p>
<p style="max-width: 100%;"> 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.</p>
<p style="max-width: 100%;"> 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.</p>
<p style="max-width: 100%;"> 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.</p>
<p style="max-width: 100%;"> 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.</p>
</div></div></div><br><br><div id="AppleMailSignature" dir="ltr">Jim Y. McCollum<div><a href="mailto:j.mccollum64@comcast.net">j.mccollum64@comcast.net</a> </div><div>860-581-0430 (mobile) </div><div>203-535-1620 (home)</div><div><br></div><div><div>Sent from my iPhone</div></div></div></body></html>