Tom Harkin: “Lastly, Mr. President, we just had a report from the Census Bureau which did a study that showed the employment…”

“Lastly, Mr. President, we just had a report from the Census Bureau which did a study that showed the employment population ratio for persons with severe disabilities increased from 23.3 percent in 1991, when ADA went into effect, to 26.1 in 1994, meaning there are 800,000 more severely disabled working in 1994 than in 1991, which is a 27-percent increase. So, again, I think what this Congress did with Public Law 94-142 in 1975, with the addition of part H in 1986, and then capped with the Americans With Disabilities Act in 1990, have not only made us a more decent and caring society, a more inclusive society, but in the long run it will save us money because we are putting the money in at the front end, getting these kids early intervention programs, good education, integrating them with people they will live with all their lives. Even though it may cost some upfront, the savings, if you look in hard economic terms, the savings are tremendous later on.”