Congresswoman Lee Celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the East Bay’s Leadership in the Disabilities Rights Movement
Oakland, CA – Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee released the following statement commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA was signed into law on July 26th, 1990:
“For 25 years, the Americans with Disabilities Act has helped move our nation closer to equality for all. This landmark legislation opened the doors of opportunity for all Americans to live the American dream.
I am proud to represent the East Bay in Congress, a community that has been at the forefront of the disabilities rights movement. For example, Ed Roberts, the father of the independent living movement, called the East Bay home.
I am proud to have worked to obtain six separate federal spending grants totaling $5.4 million to support the construction of the Ed Roberts Campus, a revolutionary center that is accessible to everyone. This was our nation’s first such project.
As we commemorate this milestone anniversary and celebrate the victories of the disabilities rights movement, we must recommit ourselves to the unfinished work of ensuring an accessible and inclusive society for all.
Today, the unemployment rate for persons with disabilities is 9.3 percent, four points higher than the national unemployment rate. As a member of the Appropriations and Budget Committees, I am committed to ensuring federal programs support opportunities for disabled Americans.
Globally, I am proud to have worked, as the United Nations Representative from the U.S. House of Representatives, to advance ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Sadly, ratification of this important treaty was killed by Senate Republicans in the 112th Congress. This Convention, modeled in part on the ADA, sets forth a global standard, thus opening doors of opportunity for all and expanding travel access for Americans with disabilities. We must continue working to ratify this important treaty.
As we celebrate today, let us strengthen our resolve to ensure a more equal America for all.”
###
Congresswoman Lee is a member of the Appropriations and Budget Committees, the Steering and Policy Committee, is a Senior Democratic Whip, former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and co-chair of the Progressive Caucus. She serves as chair of the Whip’s Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity.