On the recordJuly 27, 2015
there are no ideas more central to America's democracy and identity than liberty and equality. The Declaration of Independence lists liberty among mankind's inalienable rights and states: ``All men are created equal.'' But it wasn't until 1870 that the 15th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, extending the vote to African-American men, and women were not given the right to vote in America until 1920, when the 19th Amendment was ratified. America's democracy has indeed been imperfect, but throughout our history, we have sought to address our imperfections. After all, the story of America is not the story of a perfect nation. It is the story of a nation in pursuit of a more perfect nation. So it is sobering but not surprising that it took us nearly to the end of the 20th century to expand and acknowledge the rights of another group of Americans who suffered discrimination through history--people with disabilities. This Sunday we mark the 25th anniversary of one of the most important civil rights victories in our nation's history--the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Americans with Disabilities Act set forth four great goals for people with disabilities: equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self- sufficiency. But the fundamental goal of the ADA is simple.…
