Lift Every Voice: Modernizing Disability Policies and Programs to Serve a Diverse211 Nation

摘要

On July 26, 1990, President George Bush signed into law the Americans with211u001eDisabilities Act (ADA), one of the most sweeping civil rights laws ever enacted. 211u001eDuring the signing ceremony, President Bush emphasized the historic importance of 211u001ethe signing of the Act by comparing it to the fall of the Berlin Wall. 'And now I 211u001esign legislation which takes a sledgehammer to another wall,' he said, 'one which 211u001ehas, for too many generations, separated Americans with disabilities from the 211u001efreedom they could glimpse, but not grasp. Once again, we rejoice as this barrier 211u001efalls, proclaiming together we will not accept, we will not excuse, we will not 211u001etolerate discrimination in America.' Then, as he lifted his pen to sign ADA, Bush 211u001econcluded his remarks by declaring, 'Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally 211u001ecome tumbling down.' Nine years later, ADA and the American disability rights 211u001emovement have produced some tangible results for many Americans with 211u001edisabilities. In towns and cities across the United States, ADA has produced 211u001eevolutionary progress in removing barriers that exclude Americans with 211u001edisabilities and their families. But for a large segment of the population with 211u001edisabilities, particularly those from diverse racial, cultural, and ethnic 211u001ecommunities, a shameful wall of exclusion continues to hinder their ability to 211u001eparticipate fully in all aspects of American society. Whether the exclusion stems 211u001efrom one's disability, one's race, one's language, one's culture, one's 211u001eethnicity, or a combination of these, the sting of rejection is just as painful. 211u001eAs we mark the ninth anniversary of the signing of ADA, the declaration of 211u001eequality made in 1990 remains hollow for many people with disabilities from 211u001ediverse cultural backgrounds in their continuing struggle against the persistent 211u001ebarriers of poverty, inequality, and dual discrimination.