Tom Lantos: “ten years ago this month the Congress adopted the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). I am honored to have been a…”

“ten years ago this month the Congress adopted the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). I am honored to have been a Member of the Congress at that time and to have enthusiastically supported the adoption of that legislation. As you know, Mr. Speaker, the ADA is an historic civil rights law that opened the doors to mainstream life for millions of Americans with disabilities. The ADA has been a great success in helping the disabled enter the work force, and it has helped changed the attitudes of Americans towards the disabled. While there is still work left to be done to accomplish the goals we established in the Americans with Disabilities Act, on the tenth anniversary of the passage of that law I would like to acknowledge the importance of this legislation and its implementation in changing attitudes towards the disabled over the past decade. Partly as a result of the ADA, we now live in a society that has become more open-minded and accepting of people with disabilities. This change in attitudes has been greatest in the employment of persons with disabilities, where it was feared by many that inclusion would be too costly. As a result of the ADA, businesses are employing more disabled Americans than ever before, and employers have found that the costs of accommodating the disabled are small, while the gains have been great.”