Washington, D.C. - Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise as we celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Most Americans take for granted the ability to enter a restaurant, speak on the telephone, or apply for a job without fear of discrimination. But until the passage of the ADA, tens of millions of Americans with disabilities were denied these basic rights. Over the past decade and a half, the ADA has enabled people with disabilities to realize more fully their place in American society.
But the promise of the ADA remains unfulfilled. Only about one-third of people with disabilities are employed, and those with disabilities are three times more likely to live in poverty.
If we are to honor our commitment to equal rights, we must work tirelessly to open society and the workplace to all Americans. To that end, I sponsored legislation to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act and recently introduced the Federal Employees with Disabilities Protection Act.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud of what the ADA has accomplished so far. I encourage my colleagues to join me in working to honor its promise for all Americans.