Charge We Have to Keep. A Road Map to Personal and Economic Freedom for People with Intellectual Disabilities in the 21st Century

摘要

On July 25, 2003, in celebration of the 13th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, President George W. Bush signed Executive Order 12994 as amended, continuing the work of the Committee, but renaming it the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities (PCPID). With this Order, President Bush recognized that a new name and language make a difference in people's lives. For these reasons, President Bush agreed with the Committee's recommendation that we needed to change our name. The name change is not just cosmetic. It signals a new beginning and a revitalization of the PCPID's mission in the 21st Century: to better recognize and uphold the right of all people with intellectual disabilities to enjoy a quality of life that promotes independence, self-determination, and participation as productive members of society. The goals of the President's Committee include: the assurance of full citizenship rights of people with intellectual disabilities$ the provision of all necessary supports to individuals and families$ the reduction of the occurrence and severity of intellectual disabilities$ and the promotion of the widest dissemination of information of models, programs, and services within the field of intellectual disabilities.