Copyright 2000 P.G. Publishing Co.
Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette
July 28, 2000, Friday, SOONER EDITION
SECTION: EDITORIAL, Pg. A-21
LENGTH: 950 words
HEADLINE: AN
AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT;
I PLEDGE TO UPHOLD AND STRENGTHEN THE
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
BYLINE: GEORGE W. BUSH
DATELINE: AUSTIN, Texas
BODY:
The story of America, it has often been said, is the story of the
ever-widening circle of inclusion. Freeing the slaves. Women winning the right
to vote. Ending segregation.
The circle was widened again 10 years ago
this week, when Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act. I strongly
support the ADA, and I am proud that my father's signature made it the law of
the land. Because of the ADA, discrimination against a person with a disability
is not just unkind or cruel or wrong: It is an infringement of federal law, and
a violation of civil rights. But the banning of discrimination is just the
beginning of full participation. Barriers remain. There are steps we can and
should take to remove these barriers.
In that spirit, I have proposed
the "New Freedom Initiative" to ensure that all Americans with disabilities,
whether young or old, have every chance to pursue the American dream -- to use
more of their own skills, and make more of their own choices.
First, we
will promote independent living.
In millions of lives, assistive
technology is helping to defeat dependence and frustration and isolation: Text
telephones for the those with hearing impairments. Computer monitors with
Braille display for those with visual impairments. Infrared pointers for people
who can't use their hands -allowing them to use a computer by pointing at
functions on the monitor or keyboard. Special software to help people with
mental retardation learn how to read and write. Lighter wheelchairs and
artificial limbs.
My administration will be a champion of assistive
technology and universal design principles. Through Rehabilitation Engineering
Research Centers, the federal government is a leader on assistive technology
research. We will make this research a higher priority, and we will triple the
current funding.
Education is another key to independent living. The
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act guarantees children
with disabilities a free and appropriate public education that meets their
needs. I support the IDEA and its goals. And in meeting those goals, the federal
government must pay its fair share.
Independent living should also
include greater opportunities for homeownership. To provide such opportunities,
we'll reform the Section 8 rental program. For the first time, a Section 8
recipient who has a disability will be able to use up to a year's worth of
rental vouchers to finance the down payment on a home of their own, and continue
using vouchers to pay the mortgage.
Second, we will help citizens with
disabilities to claim their rightful place in the workforce.
Under the
ADA, workplaces are less forbidding than they once were. Every day, millions of
Americans with disabilities travel miles from home to work at full-time jobs.
For others, this is impossible -- and until recently, few alternatives were
available to them.
All this is changing. Today more than 40 million
Americans work out of their homes during all or most of the week, plugged into
the company network by telephone, fax, and computer. For families across
America, this change has brought great convenience and flexibility. But for
those with disabilities, it's nothing less than a revolution.
As with
assistive technology, sometimes the last limitation is simple affordability. To
overcome it, my Administration will create an Access to Telecommuting Fund. We
will spend $ 20 million in federal matching funds to enable Americans with
disabilities to buy computers and other equipment necessary to telecommute.
I will ask Congress to change the tax treatment of computers and
Internet access supplied by employers for use in the home. Making these a
tax-free benefit will add incentive to hire employees with disabilities who
telecommute.
To create even more work opportunities, I will issue an
executive order to fully and swiftly implement the "Ticket-to-Work" law. As it
is, many people with disabilities are reluctant to take a job, even a
telecommuting job, for fear of losing disability benefits and health coverage.
They shouldn't be forced to make this choice.
Third, we will help
Americans with disabilities to gain fuller access to community life.
Every law depends on good faith in observance, and consistency in
enforcement. The fact is that some requirements of ADA have yet to be fulfilled.
This is especially true for people who face mental illness and mental
retardation.
In the Olmstead case last year, the Supreme Court ruled
that, wherever possible, persons with mental illness are entitled to live in the
"most integrated" community settings rather than in institutions. This ruling,
however, has not been completely carried out. As president, as I have as
governor, I will sign an executive order committing my administration to the
implementation of the Olmstead decision.
We must remember that many
activities of civic life are still difficult for people with disabilities. Even
voting can be a hardship for them. I will work with Congress to make polling
places and the voting process easier.
Earlier this month, we marked
Independence Day. On July 26, many across America will mark that day as a
personal independence day -- the day the law recognized their rights and full
standing as citizens of the United States.
People with disabilities
confront hardship every day of their lives. That leaves our society with a
simple choice -- add to that hardship, or to try to lessen it. Whether to answer
that challenge with indifference, or with generosity of spirit. The ADA answered
in the affirmative. And so will I as president.
George W. Bush, the
governor of Texas, is the Republican candidate for president.
LOAD-DATE: February 7, 2001 
