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a Ceremonial Resolution
21-87
In the Council of the District of Columbia
July 14, 2015
To recognize, honor, and celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the tremendous impact its passage has had on the ability of all Americans with disabilities to lead full and productive lives.
WHEREAS, in 1986, the National Council on Disability recommended enactment of an Americans with Disabilities Act, and drafted the first version of the bill, which was introduced in the House and Senate in 1988;
WHEREAS, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), who authored what became the final bill and was its chief sponsor in the Senate, delivered part of his introduction speech in sign language, saying it was so his deaf brother could understand;
WHEREAS, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush;
WHEREAS, the Americans with Disabilities Act was the most significant civil rights legislation for individuals with disabilities in the United States and inspired the rest of the world to work toward establishing equal opportunities for individuals with disabilities;
WHEREAS, the Americans with Disabilities Act affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which made discrimination based on race, religion, sex, national origin, and other characteristics illegal;
WHEREAS, the Americans with Disabilities Act also requires covered employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities, and imposes accessibility requirements on public accommodations;
WHEREAS, the Americans with Disabilities Act covers employment discrimination, which applies to covered employers and covers job application procedures, hiring, advancement, and discharge of employees, job training, and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment;
WHEREAS, the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits disability discrimination by all public entities at the local level (for example, school district, municipal, city, or county), and at state level; applies to public transportation provided by public entities through regulations by the U.S. Department of Transportation and includes the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, along with all other commuter authorities; and applies to all state and local public housing, housing assistance, and housing referrals;
WHEREAS, the Americans with Disabilities Act ensures that no individual may be discriminated against on the basis of disability with regards to the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, or accommodations of any place of "public accommodation" by any person who owns, leases, or operates a place of "public accommodation";
WHEREAS, the Americans with Disabilities Act amended the landmark Communications Act of 1934 requiring that all telecommunications companies in the U.S. take steps to ensure functionally equivalent services for consumers with disabilities, notably those who are deaf or hard of hearing and those with speech impairments;
WHEREAS, the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits retaliation or coercion by any individual or entity that seeks to prevent an individual from exercising his or her rights or to retaliate against him or her for having exercised those rights;
WHEREAS, the Office of Disability Rights for the District of Columbia was created by the Disability Rights Protection Act of 2006 to provide technical support, training, resolution of complaints, and overall guidance;
WHEREAS, the Department of Disability Services for the District of Columbia oversees and coordinates services for residents with disabilities through a network of private and non-profit providers; and
WHEREAS, the Office of Human Rights for the District of Columbia confronts disability discrimination through its enforcement of the District of Columbia Human Rights Act and Americans with Disabilities Act;
IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, that the Council of the District of Columbia recognizes, honors, and celebrates the 25th anniversary of the historic Americans with Disabilities Act.
Sec. 2. This resolution may be cited as the “Americans with Disabilities Act 25th Anniversary Recognition Resolution of 2015”.
Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in the District of Columbia Register.
