Tom Harkin: “today marks the 25th anniversary of the appointment of Gallaudet University's first Deaf president, Dr. I. King Jordan.…”

“today marks the 25th anniversary of the appointment of Gallaudet University's first Deaf president, Dr. I. King Jordan. This historic appointment, the product of the ``Deaf President Now'' student protests, was truly a catalyzing moment--a moment to establish dignity--for the Deaf community. As President Jordan stated in his acceptance speech, the Deaf community would ``no longer accept limits on what we can achieve.'' Deaf President Now was significant not only for the Deaf community, but it also showed other Americans what Deaf individuals are capable of. We saw the rights of the Deaf community brought to the forefront. And the Deaf President Now movement, with the active involvement of the Deaf community, helped lead to passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act 2 years later, in 1990. The Americans with Disabilities Act is one of the landmark civil rights laws of the 20th century--a long-overdue emancipation proclamation for Americans with disabilities. The ADA has played a huge role in making our country more accessible, in raising the expectations of people with disabilities about what they can hope to achieve at work and in life, and in inspiring all of us to view disability issues through the lens of equality and opportunity. Before the ADA, life was very different for folks with disabilities.…”