Tom Harkin: “I have talked a lot about Danny Piper, a young man with Down's syndrome from Ankeny, IA. Some 20 years ago when Danny…”

“I have talked a lot about Danny Piper, a young man with Down's syndrome from Ankeny, IA. Some 20 years ago when Danny was born, doctors told his parents that Danny should be institutionalized because of severe mental retardation. They said his condition was hopeless. Fortunately, Danny's parents rejected this recommendation. Instead, they helped Danny take advantage of early intervention and preschool services, which allowed him to ultimately move to the regular classroom, where he not only did very well but also became involved in community service activities. I should also mention that on July 26, 1990, Danny joined me on the White House lawn for the signing of the Americans With Disabilities Act. Today, Danny is 23 years old and works 20 hours a week at the Ingram Corp., the largest national distributor of videotapes and compact discs. Danny duplicates tapes and discs and packages them for distribution. He makes $6 an hour, loves his job, and has not missed a day of work in years. Danny also works out regularly at the local YMCA, and has even hired a personal trainer with his own money. Danny is grown up now, and like most 23-year-olds, doesn't want to live with his parents anymore. So he is now working to find his own apartment. Last week Danny's parents met with an individual who might be willing to be Danny's roommate. To try out this new relationship, Danny is planning to take a trip to Disney World with his potential roommate.”