John Kerry: “my friend Senator Tom Harkin has been championing the rights of Americans with disabilities his whole life. He witnessed…”

“my friend Senator Tom Harkin has been championing the rights of Americans with disabilities his whole life. He witnessed the challenges and discriminations of people with disabilities first hand. His brother Frank lost his hearing at a very young age and he has witnessed the many ways that people with disabilities are prevented from fully participating in activities that most Americans take for granted. Senator Harkin has said that the 1990 signing of his bill, Americans with Disabilities Act remains one of the proudest days of his life. The vote I cast for Americans with Disabilities Act was one of my proudest days as a U.S. Senator. This month will mark two decades since the landmark passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, known as the ADA. This important civil rights law seeks to ensure equality rights and opportunities for the more than 54 million Americans with physical and mental disabilities. Prior to the passage of the ADA, people with disabilities faced significantly lower employment rates, lower graduation rates, and higher rates of poverty than people without disabilities, and were too often denied the opportunity to fully participate in society due to intolerance and unfair stereotypes. The ADA sought to eliminate the indignities and prejudice faced by individuals with disabilities on a daily basis.”