Rick Lazio: “This year is the 10th anniversary of a landmark piece of civil rights legislation--the Americans with Disabilities Act.…”

“This year is the 10th anniversary of a landmark piece of civil rights legislation--the Americans with Disabilities Act. And, it is in that spirit that I rise in support of the re-authorization of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act. This is good bi-partisan legislation. It is legislation that reflects the spirit of enterprise and ingenuity that made America great. It is legislation that promotes self-sufficiency, productivity and community integration for those who suffer from developmental disabilities. This program provides basic state funding for local developmental disability councils. It provides state grants for advocacy and protection. It funds university affiliated programs and programs of national significance, all of which are vital to the services needed for the disabled. This legislation will bring over $6 million each year to provide these programs to needy New Yorkers. The over 2 million New Yorkers who suffer from disabilities are no different from the rest of us. They have ambitions, goals and desires, just like you or me.”