Friends,

Yesterday marked the 26^th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. President Obama released a proclamation recognizing all this milestone law has made possible for the disability community and calling upon the nation to continue fighting for greater accessibility, inclusion, and opportunity for people with disabilities. The President’s Proclamation can also be found on the White House website.  In celebration, over 200 visitors were able to tour the East Wing of the White House. These tours featured displays curated by the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History that commemorated the history of disability rights. Artifacts ranged from various buttons from disability rallies, to examples of assistive technology, to a do-it-yourself curb cut. The tour route also included a special performance by the Drama Kings and Queens, a choir of talented youth with disabilities. The White House Snapchat feed featured a story on the ADA. I hope those who use Snapchat saw the story before it disappeared. Dana Frayne, an intern in the Office of Digital Strategy, blogged about her experiences growing up with a parent with a disability and about how her White House internship taught her about inclusive workplaces. Her story can be found on the White House blog.

 

 

Yesterday, the White House, the Department of Education, and the National Council on Disability, came together to host the first ever Summit on African American Students with Disabilities. The daylong convening explored the needs of African-American students with disabilities with the goal of highlighting promising and proven strategies to ensure that the cognitive, social and emotional learning and development of these students are nurtured to ensure success in school, college, and in life. The summit also created a platform for African-American youth with disabilities to form meaningful connections with peers, learn about available resources to support their learning and development, and to make recommendations for actions that caring and concerned adults can take to ensure all African-American students are safe, engaged and supported in schools. At the Summit, the Department of Education’s Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights announced new guidance clarifying the rights of students with ADHD in our nation's schools. The guidance provides a broad overview of Section 504 and school districts' obligations to provide educational services to students with disabilities, including students with ADHD. If you or your organization release a statement on this guidance, please let me know.

 

To view the whole White House Summit on African American Students with Disabilities, you can watch the archived livestream here.  For highlights from the event and to continue the conversation, lookup and use #AfAmInclusion on social media.

 

Additionally, the Department of Education released a blog post on enforcement of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which connects Americans of all walks of life more efficiently and effectively to high-quality careers on their blog. Another blog worth reading is the Department of Labor and the Department of Education’s co-authored call to action to increase disability visibility.

 

The 26^th anniversary of the ADA was a day of celebration, but also one of mourning. Our brothers and sisters in Japan faced a horrendous tragedy, where persons with disabilities were the targets of a shocking  attack. Nineteen people with disabilities lost their  lives and many more were injured. In response to this tragedy, Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, Secretary Kerry, Ambassador Kennedy, Department of State Special Advisor for International Disability Rights Judy Heumann, and National Security Council Spokesperson Ned Price, all offered their sympathies to Japan as they mourn. Today, at the White House we convened a meeting with Japanese and American disability leaders to discuss how our communities could work in solidarity in the wake of this tragedy. The Japanese delegation discussed barriers that people with disabilities face in Japan, and how the media and public are addressing the recent tragedy. Following our discussion, one common theme rang true, we must come together to promote the dignity of disability and to end disability discrimination. If your organization has issued a statement on the tragedy in Japan or if you are involved in activities promoting solidarity with the Japanese disability community, please let me know,

 

To kick off our ADA anniversary activities, last week, we partnered with the Center for American Progress to host the White House Forum on Criminal Justice Reform and Disability. During the forum we heard from a number of panelists on what the current policy landscape looks like and the impact of the criminal justice system on people with disabilities. The event featured remarks from Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett and Department of Justice Deputy Assistant Attorney General for  Civil Rights Eve Hill. Attendees also participated in four breakout sessions on policing, courts, cell-block, and community. At the event, the Center for American Progress released their report on disabilities in the criminal justice system, and you can read it here. You can also view the forum by following this link.

 

Below you will find additional tweets that the White House and other Federal agencies released to commemorate the anniversary of the ADA. Be sure to be on the lookout  for further releases from the White House commemorating this anniversary. Finally, tomorrow Valerie Jarrett, will be joined by Tom Kalil, the Deputy Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and  @WhiteHouseOSTP, from the White House Office of World Wide Web Consortium’ s Web Accessibility Initiative in a Twitter chat to answer your questions on how we make the internet accessible for all Americans.  Tweet your questions by Thursday at 11am ET using the hashtag #ADA26.

 

 

All the best,

 

Maria Town

 

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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 25, 2016

 

ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, 2016

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

On July 26, 1990, our Nation marked a pivotal moment in history for Americans with disabilities. Fueled by a chorus of voices who refused to accept a second-class status and driven by a movement that recognized that our country is stronger and more vibrant when we draw on the talents of all our people, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) enshrined into law the notion that Americans living with disabilities deserve to participate in our society free from discrimination. Twenty-six years later, as we mark this anniversary, we recognize all this milestone law has made possible for the disability community.

The ADA sought to guarantee that the places we share -- from schools and workplaces to stadiums and parks -- truly belong to everyone. It reflects our Nation's full commitment to the rights and independence of people with disabilities, and it has paved the way for a more inclusive and equal society. For the 6.5 million students and the approximately 50 million adults living with mental or physical disabilities, the ADA has swung open doors and empowered each of them to make of their lives what they will.

Building on this progress is a priority for my Administration. The Federal Government has taken the lead in creating meaningful employment opportunities for people with disabilities. In my first term, I issued an Executive Order that called on Federal agencies and contractors to hire more people with disabilities -- and today, more Americans with disabilities are working in Federal service than at any time in the last three decades. My Administration has vigorously enforced the Supreme Court's ruling in the Olmstead decision -- which determined that, under the ADA, people with disabilities cannot be unnecessarily segregated -- and worked to deliver on the promise that individuals with disabilities have access to integrated, community-based services. The Affordable Care Act affirmed that Americans with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied health insurance, and this year, we made it clear that health care providers must offer reasonable accommodations and ensure effective communication for individuals with disabilities in order to advance health equity and reduce health care disparities.

As we commemorate this progress, we know our work to expand opportunity and confront the stigma that persists surrounding disabilities is not yet finished: We have to address the injustices that linger and remove the barriers that remain. Too many people with disabilities are still unemployed and lack access to skills training or are not paid fairly for their work. We must continue increasing graduation rates for students with disabilities to give them every chance to receive the education and training they need to pursue their dreams. We must make the information and communication technologies we rely on accessible for all people, and ensure their needs are considered and incorporated as we advance the tools of modern life. And we must keep fighting for more consistent and effective enforcement of the ADA in order to prevent discrimination in public services and accommodations.

At a time when so many doubted that people with disabilities could contribute to our economy or support their families, the ADA assumed they could, and guided the way forward. Today, as we reflect on the courage and commitment of all who made this achievement possible, let us renew our obligation to extend the promise of the American dream to all our people, and let us recommit to building a world free of unnecessary barriers and full of deeper understanding of those living with disabilities.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim July 26, 2016, the Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I encourage Americans across our Nation to celebrate the 26th anniversary of this civil rights law and the many contributions of individuals with disabilities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-first.

 

BARACK OBAMA