►
Description
The ADA is a landmark law that has touched the lives of every American since it was signed into law in 1990. Learn about the bill’s history, the impact the ADA has had on the nation and what the next 30 years hold for Americans with disabilities.
Speakers:
Secretary Eugene Scalia, U.S. Department of Labor
Senator Dan McConchie, Illinois State Senate
Delegate Elizabeth Guzman, Virginia General Assembly
Senator Ted Kennedy Jr., Connecticut State Senate
A
A
A
A
A
A
B
B
The
ada
opened
the
way
for
millions
more
americans
to
share
in
the
rewards
and
dignity
of
work
and
to
participate
in
our
national
economy
for
the
benefit
of
their
families,
their
communities
and
of
our
nation,
the
labor
department
and
our
office
of
disability.
Employment
policy
are
commemorating
the
30-year
anniversary
of
the
ada
with
a
year-long
celebration.
B
B
I
also
want
to
say
a
word
about
the
private
sector
and
american
business.
Those
of
us
in
government
tend
to
focus
really
intently
on
what
government
can
do,
but
it's
the
private
sector
that
creates
the
jobs
that
provide
the
opportunities
in
2019.
We
saw
the
lowest
unemployment
rate
ever
for
americans
with
disabilities.
Since
we
started
keeping
records
on
that
now,
it
wasn't
low
enough
by
the
way,
but
it
was
a
record
low.
B
As
we
mark
the
ada's
30th
anniversary.
We
will
be
sure,
of
course,
to
reflect
on
who
has
bened
from
the
benefited
from
this
law
and
who
we're
celebrating,
for
this
includes
individuals
with
disabilities,
for
whom
the
ada
has
offered
equality
and
opportunity,
but
we
also
celebrate
the
gain
for
our
country.
We
celebrate
the
fact
that
by
including
americans
with
disabilities
in
our
economy,
we
magnify
the
talent,
insights
and
humanity
in
our
workplaces,
and
we
celebrate
how
this
30
year
old
law
helps
our
nation
better
fulfill.
B
A
Thank
you
to
secretary
scalia
for
that
message,
and
now
I
am
very
pleased
to
introduce
you
all
to
our
next
speaker
and
panel
moderator,
senator
ted
kennedy
jr
mr
kennedy
served
as
state
senator
in
the
connecticut
general
assembly
from
2015
to
2019
and
is
currently
a
healthcare
attorney
and
partner
at
the
law.
Firm
epstein
becker
green,
mr
kennedy
has
been
an
active
leader
in
the
disability,
rights
and
independent
living
movement.
Welcome
mr
kennedy.
C
Thank
you
so
much
suzanne
and
thank
you
to
ncsl
for
producing
this
multi-part
series
on
the
anniversary.
30Th
anniversary
of
the
signing
of
the
americans
with
disabilities
act
is
suzanne
said
I'm
my
name
is
ted
kennedy
jr
and
I'm
here
in
my
capacity,
obviously
as
a
former
state
legislator
myself,
but
also
as
board
chair
of
the
american
association
of
people
with
disabilities,
one
of
the
leading
civil
rights
and
public
policy
offices
dedicated
to
social
reform
and
equal
rights
for
people
with
disabilities.
C
Many
of
the
prejudices
and
stereotypes
that
I
myself
had
had
about
people
with
disabilities,
as
well
as
some
of
the
practical
policies
such
as
you
know
the
issue
of
pre-existing
health
care
conditions
that
that
me,
and
so
many
people,
cancer,
survivors
and
people
with
disabilities.
Have
so
that's
why
I've
really
dedicated
my
life
to
enhancing
the
rights
of
people
with
disabilities,
so
we're
talking
I've
been
asked
to
before
I
introduce
my
colleagues
virginia
delegate,
elizabeth
guzman
and
illinois
state
senator
dan
mcconkey.
C
I've
been
asked
just
to
provide
a
few
minutes
of
just
framing
out
this
issue.
What
are
we
really
talking
about
today
in
terms
of
the
americans
with
disabilities
act?
It's
one
in
five
americans
over
60
million
people
with
a
disability
today
and
living
in
the
united
states-
and
you
know
the
history
of
disability
in
the
us
and
really
around
the
world
has
been
one
of
isolation
and
segregation
up
until
30
years
ago,
when
this
landmark
civil
rights
legislation
was
passed.
C
So
for
many
many
years,
if
you
had
a
disability,
you
were
left
out
of
the
american
mainstream.
You
were
frequently
housed
in
an
institution.
Far
beyond
the
city
centers,
you
may
have
gone
to
school
in
a
separate
bus
educated
in
a
separate
classroom,
with
little
to
no
expectation
that
you
would
make
a
contribution
to
american
life
or
that
employment
or
independent
living
was
even
a
goal
that
had
all
changed
as
a
result
of
the
americans
with
disabilities
act.
C
I
just
want
to
bring
attention
to
a
couple
of
the
things
in
the
preamble
of
the
ada.
It
says
that
societies,
discrimination
against
people
with
disabilities
is
a
grave
and
pervasive
social
problem.
It
also
says
that
people
with
disabilities
are
a
discreet
and
insular
minority,
relegated
to
a
position
of
political
powerlessness
based
on
characteristics
beyond
their
control.
C
So,
for
the
very
first
time,
this
law
recognizes
that
the
problem
is
not
the
issue
of
the
individual
person
with
a
disability
that
it
is
a
societal
issue.
It's
a
societal
prejudice
that
this
law
seeks
to
address.
The
second
major
point
is
that
it
lifts
the
language
virtually
word
for
word
from
the
civil
rights
act
of
1964,
protecting
people
of
color
recognizing
people
for
the
first
time
as
a
civil.
C
This
is
being
a
civil
rights
issue,
as
opposed
to
the
orientation
that
I
and
many
other
people
in
in
my
generation,
I'm
58
years
old
grew
up
in
that
it
was.
Disability
was
a
policy
of
charitable
giving
not
of
civil
rights.
So
I
I
think
it's
important
to
recognize
that
it's
really
not
a
person's
physical
or
mental
condition
that
constitutes
the
disability,
but
one
that's
created
by
society,
and
that
is
what
is
so
important.
C
There's
a
tremendous
pride
now
among
people
with
disabilities,
not
unlike
many
of
the
disenfranchised
groups
in
american
history
who
have
also
fought
for
their
civil
rights
people
of
color
and
the
lgbtq
community.
I'm
thinking
of
when
years
and
years,
for
example,
gay
and
lesbian
americans
were
were,
did
not
come
out
for
fear
of
the
the
backlash
and
discrimination
are
now
walking
in
the
streets
with
pride.
C
So
I
would
just
like
to
take
the
few
minutes
that
I
have
remaining
in
my
introductory
remarks
to
to
focus
on
a
couple
of
different
areas.
I
know
the
ncsl
is
planning
a
week-long
series
of
different
topics
and
that
relate
to
the
state
legislatures,
and
I
just
think
that,
in
my
experience
as
a
state
legislator,
the
states
are
where
the
action
is.
C
I
mentioned
a
moment
ago:
the
paralysis,
the
political
paralysis,
the
hyper
partisanship
that
exists
in
our
nation's
capital
has
made
it
very
difficult
to
advance
any
kind
of
bipartisan
civil
rights
legislation,
which
means
that
the
states
have
now
taken
on
the
role
of
advancing
disability
law.
I
would
just
like
to
touch
on
a
couple
of
different
areas:
health
care,
employment,
home
and
community-based
care
and
political
participation.
So,
as
we
all
know,
as
state
legislators,
that
insurance
is
regulated
at
the
state
level.
C
Of
course,
there's
erisa,
but
there's
also
many
many
people
get
their
health
insurance
in
in
at
the
state
level,
and
recently,
we've
experienced
the
disability
community
have
been
alarmed
by
a
number
of
initiatives,
including
those
from
washington,
alabama,
tennessee,
kansas
utah,
for
example,
that
de-prioritized
access
to
ventilators
and
other
needed
medical
treatment
to
people
with
disabilities
because
of
their
disability
in
the
face
of
covid19.
That
was
very
alarming
and
upsetting
the
idea
that
if
you
had
a
disability,
you
went
to
the
back
of
the
line.
C
So
there's
many
areas,
such
as
in
the
health
care
area,
where
we
have
a
lot
more
work
to
do
in
the
area
of
employment.
I'm
leading
up
a
charge
now
called
the
disability
equality
index
that
finally
measures
corporations
on
their
corporate
behavior
and
ranks
corporations,
because
people
with
disabilities
want
to
know
where
they
bank
what
toothpaste
they
buy,
what
airline
they
fly
on.
Do
these
companies
truly
embrace
and
share
the
values
and
aspirations
of
the
disability
community,
and
in
that
regard,
we
have
a
joint
investor
statement
called
the
the
joint
investor
statement
for
disability
inclusion.
C
But
that's
one
issue
that
I
think
state
legislatures
can
get
involved
with
in
enhancing
making
sure
that
their
investments
that
their
retiree
investments
for
their
for
their
constituents
are
not
invested
in
companies
that
do
not
do
more
to
enhance
equality
for
people
with
disabilities,
home
and
community-based
care
is
obviously
a
huge
issue,
and
we
know
that
medicaid
is
one
of
those
areas
that
is,
that
can
be
tailored
at
the
local
level
and
as
a
state
legislator.
I
was
really
proud
to
work
on
a
presumptive
eligibility
rule
for
home
care
right
now.
C
If
you
want
to
go
into
a
nursing
home,
you're,
presumed
approved
and
and
then
the
nursing
home
can
be
paid
retroactively,
once
your
status
has
been
approved
by
medicaid,
that
doesn't
happen
in
home
care.
So
what
we
have
is
incentives
to
drive
people
into
costly
nursing
homes
at
the
expense
of
home
and
community-based
care,
which
is
where
people
with
disabilities
want
to
be
where
our
seniors
want
to
be,
and
it
costs
dramatically
less
than
costly
institutional,
nursing,
home
based
care.
Those
are
the
kinds
of
issues
that
I
think
as
state
legislators.
C
We
can
do
more
to
advance
disability
equality.
Finally,
is
the
area
of
voter
participation,
political
participation,
because
we
want
to
participate
in
the
economic
life
of
this
country
and
we
also
want
to
participate
in
the
political
life.
So
I'm
involved
in
an
initiative
now
through
aapd
called
rev
up
rev
up
seeks
to
register
over
a
million
new
voters
with
disabilities
between
now
and
the
election
and
on
absentee
voting
voting
by
mail.
C
These
types
of
issues
are
being
debated
in
the
state
capitals
around
the
country,
and
I
think
it's
important
that
legislators
understand
what
they
can
do
to
enhance.
Voter
participation
among
people
with
disabilities,
because
people
with
disabilities
are
not
registered
are
not
registered,
nor
do
they
participate
in
the
same
proportion
as
their
able-bodied
counterparts.
C
So
obviously
I
could
go
on
and
on,
but
I'm
not
going
to.
I
want
to
have
some
time
for
our
our
the
panel
that
we
have,
but
before
starting
the
panel,
I
do
want
to
pose
a
question
that
that
suzanne
is
going
to
feed
off
and
ask
everyone
participating
on
this
on
this
call
today
to
respond
to
and
I'll
give
a
few
moments
to
to
hear
the
answers
to
those
questions
before
we
proceed.
A
Great,
thank
you.
I
think
we're
going
to
go
ahead
and
ask
a
a
question
for
the
audience.
So
if
you
wouldn't
mind
all
responding
so
the
question
is
the
question
is
after
30
years,
how
well
has
the
original
intent
of
the
ada
of
full
inclusion
and
economic
self-sufficiency
been
reflected
in
its
implementation?
A
A
A
C
C
Leaders
in
our
country
dedicated
to
equal
rights
for
people
with
disabilities,
we're
going
to
spend
some
time
talking
with
them
right
now,
delegate
elizabeth
guzman
from
virginia
and
state
senator
dan
mcconkey
from
illinois.
Welcome.
Thank
you
both
for
joining
us
today
and,
as
we
hear
from
them,
we'll
take
we'll
also
take
some
questions
from
the
audience.
C
So
please,
as
a
question
comes
up,
you
can
go
in
the
chat,
room
and
answer
post
some
questions
to
me
and
I'll
try
to
make
sure
that
we
can
get
to
as
many
questions
that
we
can
before
the
end
of
the
presentation.
So
senator
mcconkie,
let's
start
with
you
as
a
state
senator
oh
thank
you.
So
is
a
state
senator
from
illinois.
You've
been
a
strong
voice
for
effective
public
accommodations
for
people
with
disabilities,
particularly
the
ada's
accessibility
requirements.
D
Sure,
well
again,
it's
really.
I
want
to
echo
senator
kennedy's
comments,
so
thank
you
to
ncsl
for
recognizing
this
important
milestone
of
the
30th
anniversary
of
the
ada.
You
know,
probably
one
of
the
biggest
things
that
surprised
me
when
I
was
growing
up.
I
was
actually
in
high
school
when
the
ada
was
passed,
was
the
fact
that
it
took
so
long
right.
D
It
took
only
a
it,
took
all
the
way
until
1990
for
the
nation
to
take
this
very
important
step
forward
for
a
group
of
people
that
were
obviously
very
disenfranchised
now.
One
of
the
things
that
you
don't
really
realize
is
just
how
significant
an
issue
is
until
sometimes
it
affects
you
personally
right
whether
it's
someone
within
your
family
or
affects
you
yourself,
and
that
was
the
case
with
me.
D
Your
life
puts
you
in
a
situation
in
which
you
suddenly
look
at
the
world
through
a
very
different
lens,
and
you
know,
while
some
people
struggle
then
to
go
forward,
I
certainly
did
in
many
different
ways
it
didn't.
I
didn't
let
it
stop
me
right
and
in
the
ada
was
an
important
part
of
that
I
could
still
get
around.
I
could
still
be
able
to
participate
relatively
fully
in
american
life,
and
the
ada
was
a
big
portion
of
being
able
to
do
that.
D
D
It
was
a
joint
panel
between
house
and
senate
and
we
get
sent
over
to
a
committee
room,
and
I
was
the
only
one
that
that
recognized
in
advance
that
this
room
was
still
not
accessible.
It
had
not
been
remodeled,
even
though
the
ada
had
passed
30
years
ago,
and
so
this
type
of
one
of
the
reasons
that
I've
gotten
heavily
involved
in
this
is
because
we
need
to
foster
that
voluntary
cooperation
where
people
come
around
the
table,
recognize
problems
and
then
get
in
involved
and
pull
together
in
order
to
address
them.
D
And
it's
important
that
we
do
that
in
in
all
sorts
of
different
manners,
because
people
are
disabled
in
different
ways
right,
I'm
very
familiar
with
mobility-related
disabilities.
But
I
really
don't
understand
much
of
anything
in
regards
to
the
kind
of
disabilities
and
things
that
people
face
with
blindness
hearing
loss
if
they're
using
a
service,
animal
and
so
forth,
and
that's
why
it
is
so
important
for
us
to
pull
together.
C
D
Well,
thank
you
for
that
question.
You
know.
One
of
the
things
that
I
find
is
that
there
are
lots
of
aspects
of
public
accommodation,
whether
it
be
theaters
or
public
transit,
or
what
have
you
in
which
I'll
say
the
designers
and
the
people
involved.
Think
they've
thought
through
things
that
would
ensure
access,
but,
frankly,
there's
lots
of
things.
I
run
into
barriers
every
day
that
just
simply
don't
need
to
exist.
Shouldn't
exist,
but
part
of
it
is
just
the
fact
that
you
know
I'll
give
an
example.
D
D
You
know
a
performer
that
was
there,
and
so
I
was
like.
I
really
don't
like
that
place,
but
I'll
go
for
you
guys,
and
so
we
went,
and
I
found
that
it
was
completely
different
that
the
accessibility
was
outstanding
and
I
tried
to
find
out
what
was
the
difference
and
what
the
difference
was
was
that
this
particular
venue
had
brought
together
people
from
various
aspects
of
disabilities.
D
People
were
blind
hearing,
impaired
mobility,
impaired
with
a
service,
animal
had
brought
them
all
and
created
a
focus
group,
an
advisory
council
of
sorts,
and
then
they
went
through
their
entire
complex
and
had
got
feedback
and
then
made
changes.
Based
on
what
that
advisory
committee
said,
and
now
it
is
one
of
the
first
places
that
I
go
to
whenever
I'm
interested
in
going
and
seeing
a
show
and
that's
the
kind
of
cooperation,
the
type
of
thing
that
we
need.
D
We
need
to
foster
that,
which
is
why
I
introduced
legislation
here
in
illinois
to
create
a
statewide
advisory
panel
right
along
that
line.
That
would
be
able
to
bring
those
type
of
people
with
disabilities
together.
So
the
developers,
no
matter
what
they're
doing
whether
they're
doing
a
big
venue
like
a
theater,
whether
they're
doing
an
apartment,
complex
parking
garage
or
whatever
they
would
be
able
to
bring
their
plans
forward
to
this
panel,
and
this
panel
would
be
able
to
respond
and
be
able
to
give
them
ideas,
because
maybe
their
plans
technically
comply
with
the
law.
C
E
E
So
I
thought
that
something
was
wrong
in
there
professionally.
I'm
a
social
worker
and
a
public
administrator.
I
work
in
as
a
public
servant
for
the
past
17
years,
currently
work
in
a
community
services
board,
so
I've
seen
you
know,
I
mean
on
a
day-to-day
basis
how
people's
life
have
to
be
changed
and
because
we
don't
have
systems
in
place.
So
I
think
that
the
federal
government
took
the
lead
by
creating
these
30
years
ago,
but
then
they
were
not
inclusive
of
a
state
government,
so
we
have
to
do
our
job.
E
When
I
inquire
and
I
was
elected
in
the
state
legislature
in
virginia,
I
was
looking
for
the
hiring
preferences
and
I
said
what
about
people
with
disabilities,
like
the
federal
government
does,
and
what
I
was
told
was
that
well
that
will
be
discrimination
to
other
individuals.
So
I
said
okay,
then
I
have
to
do
a
lot
of
educating
here
in
this
world
because
they
were
not
aware
they
didn't
have
a
voice.
I
also
learned
about
this,
knocking
on
doors
and
talking
to
individuals
that
their
lives
were
changed
or
there
was.
E
C
C
Can
google
disabilityequalityindex.org,
where
we
now
grade
companies
based
on
disability,
equality
and
inclusion,
and
just
picking
up
on
the
point
that
you
made
one
of
the
initiatives
that
we're
working
on
is
a
supplier
diversity
initiative,
so
just
like
a
veteran
owned
and
women-owned
and
minority-owned
firms
can
get
a
shot
at
doing
business
with
some
of
these
major
corporations.
Now
supplier
diversity
is
trying
to
expand
to
to
veteran
owned
service,
disabled
veteran,
owned
and
disability
owned
business
enterprises.
C
Inclusion
actually
pays
off:
it's
more
profitable
to
companies
when
they're
inclusive
of
people
with
disabilities
they're
stronger,
they
have
higher
profit
margins
and
they're
four
times
more
likely
to
outperform
their
peers
in
terms
of
total
shareholder
returns.
So
it
is
possible
to
do
the
right
thing
and
senator
you
spoke
on
this
as
well.
It's
not
just
the
the
bare
minimum
of
complying
with
the
law,
but
what
are
the
best
practices?
C
And
what
can
companies
learn
from
one
another?
And
quite
honestly,
what
can
state
governments
do
because
in
many
cases
the
state
governments
themselves
are
some
of
the
largest
employers
in
their
respective
states?
So
I'll
just
ask
you
and
now
again
I'll.
I
I
invite
the
the
audience
to
present
their
questions.
Now
I'll
be
asking
maybe
another
question
of
our
of
our
panel
participants,
but
in
in
terms
of
disability,
inclusion
and
what
you
think
it
will
look
like
in
30
years
from
now.
What
what?
What
do
you
think?
C
D
So
one
of
the
things
that
I
would
like
to
see
is
that
states
form
really
kind
of
these
voluntary
advisory
groups
that
developers
can
go
to.
I
mean
right
now,
if
I'm
interested
as
a
developer,
to
build
a
parking
garage
apartment,
building
a
theater
or
what
have
you?
The
guidance
that
I
have
is
the
ada
right.
D
E
Yeah
great,
thank
you.
Well.
What
I
could
say
is
that
I
hope
that
30
years
from
now,
everybody
is
in
compliance
with
the
ada,
and
I
think
I
wish
we
could
have
a
holistic
approach
where
we
involve
family
members
to
become
a
support
system
with
persons
with
disabilities,
because
I
hope
that
30
years
from
now,
everybody's
not
discriminated
because
of
that,
but
I
think
that
we
all
be
disabilities
also
need
the
support
system
at
home
at
work,
provide
training
to
co-workers.
So
we
could,
you
know,
all
work
together.
E
I
think
that
we
have
to
do
at
some
point
an
update
on
title
two,
where
we
talk
about
the
state
and
local
government.
As
you
share
senator
you
said
that
the
federal
government
you
know,
is
taking
the
lead,
but
then,
when
we
translate
that
into
state
and
local
government,
we
have
to
do
better,
we
cannot
be
playing
catch
up
and
we
have
to
be
taking
the
lead.
I
would
also
you
know
as
far
as
public
accommodations
what
it
was
mentioned
earlier.
I
would
also
say
that
we
need
to
work
on
better
public
accommodations.
E
You
know
we
can
just
not
being
always
at
the
bottom
of
the
list
when
we're
talking
about
ada.
It
has
to
be
at
the
top
of
the
list.
If
we
are
trying
to
move
america
towards
being
more
inclusive
and
then
I
would
love
to
see
the
updates
of
the
individuals
with
disabilities
education
act,
because
I
think
that
these
support
systems
should
start
at
early
age
and
education
and
just
by
those
not
being
that
they
updated.
E
I
think
that
these
support
systems
should
start
in
school,
because
these
children
need
to
gain
that
confidence
that
they
could
be
successful
when
they
grow
up
and
not
just
being
you
know,
part
of
the
group
where
they're
gonna
go
go
a
different
classroom
or
they
are
gonna.
Just
you're
gonna
check
the
boxes,
so
they
could
graduate,
but
they
could
actually
have
a
meaningful
education
with
all
of
the
support
systems
that
they
deserve.
C
C
What
do
you
have
to
say
to
that?
Those
individuals
who
who
do
who
may
not
you
know
realistically
have
a
a
an
opportunity
to
go.
You
know
work
for
one
of
these
companies
or
go
to
a
show
or
go
to
a
wrigley
field.
What
how
do
you?
How
do
you
respond
to
to
to
to
your
constituents
who
raise
these
questions.
D
Well,
definitely,
there
is
bias
that
is
still
out
there
in
you
know,
there
is
no
question
on
that.
You
know
when
I
first
decided
to
run
for
office
being
in
a
wheelchair,
makes
it
it
hard
right
not
just
to
get
out
there
and
meet
voters,
but
it's
it's
in
my
in
my
district,
it's
impossible
to
ring
anybody's
doorbell
right
by
myself,
because
I
can't
even
get
to
the
front
door.
D
There's
always
steps
right
there
that
limit
my
ability
to
be
able
to
get
there,
and
my
predecessor
had
someone
who
came
up
to
him
and,
and
he
was
leaving,
you
know
he
was
retiring
and
he
had
endorsed
me
and
he
came
up
to
you
know
this.
This
person
came
up
to
my
predecessor
and
said:
do
you
think
he
can
do
the
job?
Referring
to
me
because
I
was
in
a
wheelchair
right
and
you
know
my
predecessor
said:
are
you
kidding?
Have
you
met
the
guy
right?
D
I
mean
this
is
the
type
of
thing
that
we
do
face
right.
People
who
have
disabilities
face
these
types
of
things,
and
certainly
it
is
a
challenge
if
you're
going
in
and
you're
interviewing
for
a
job
and
and
that
person
sees
someone
coming
in
in
a
wheelchair
or
with
a
cane
or
crutches
or
a
service
dog.
You
know,
there's
there's
a
lot
of
of
things
that
we
have
to
overcome
and
there's
going
to
be
a
multi-pronged
approach
that
it's
going
to
be
necessary.
D
We
need
to
popularize
this
in
the
press
and
the
media
we
need
to.
We
need
movies
right
that
show
people
who
have
disabilities
out
there
and
actually
working
and
actively
involved,
there's
not
enough
disabled
people
in
hollywood
and
that's
in
addition
to
the
incentives
and
types
of
things
that
we
can
do
at
the
state
level
in
order
to
help
ensure
that
people
have
full
access.
E
And
that's
awesome
remarks.
What
the
only
thing
that
I
would
add
is
for
those
individuals
that,
because
of
their
disability,
they
can
work.
I
don't
want
them
to
feel
an
americans.
I
don't
want
them
to
feel
unwelcome
just
because
they
cannot
produce
income.
That's
what
this
country
is
about
is
that
we
work
to
help
each
other
and
there
are
going
to
be
opportunities
and
certain
disabilities,
where
you
won't
be
able
to
have
a
job,
and
I
do
have
certain
of
those
constituents.
E
So
what
my
job
is
to
provide
to
provide
those
budget
amendments
to
make
sure
that
we
have
a
slots
for
services
that
they
deserve
and
that
we
have
to
make
that
a
priority
of
our
budget,
because
they
are
part
of
our
constituency
and
at
least
that
they
deserve,
and
I
mean
that
we
have
to
do
what
they
they
need.
We
have
to
fight
for
what
they
need.
C
So,
just
maybe
one
or
one
or
two
more
questions.
Thank
you.
So
much
for
those
responses
and
just
turning
to
the
to
the
issue
of
you,
know
home
and
community-based
services.
Just
for
a
moment
and
I'm
curious
to
know
what
initiatives
may
be
underway,
either
in
virginia
or
illinois
to
help
address
what
I
you
know,
what
commonly
called
the
institutional
bias
for.
You
know
to
house
people
and
nursing
homes,
or
even
in
state
institutions.
We
have
in
connecticut
a
a
state
institution.
D
Well,
one
of
the
things
that
we
have
here
in
illinois.
We
have
a
really
great
program
that
enables
those
people
who
end
up
with
a
disability
of
some
sort
to
be
able
to
access
assistance
and
support
directly
for
things
that
help
them
to
then
get
back
and
function
in
society
right
so
immediately
after
my
accident.
As
soon
as
I
had
kind
of
completed
rehab
and
had
gotten
back
home,
I
wanted
to
be
able
to
go
back
to
work.
D
I
lived
in
an
area
that
didn't
have
public
transit
and
so
a
car
was
essential
to
be
able
to
get
back
and
forth
to
any
sort
of
job
those
type
of
programs.
We
have
those
making
sure
that
people
can
access
their
home
live
in
their
home
because
we
recognize,
at
the
end
of
the
day,
having
a
ramp,
having
an
accessible,
bathroom
and
and
so
forth,
are
important
for
people
to
be
able
to
stay
at
home
and
then,
as
long
as
they
can
stay
at
home,
they
actually
cost
less.
D
E
So
in
virginia
we
have
similar
programs.
You
know
we
would
add
to
those
the
group,
homes
or
residential
homes
where
actually
they
could
move
to
independent
living.
I
think
at
certain
individuals
with
disabilities
age,
then
their
parents
age
as
well,
and
they
sometimes
they
cannot
take
care
of
them
anymore.
We
try
to
employ
them
within
house
if
they.
If
the
funding
comes
with
the
government,
we
try
to
partner
with
local
government,
so
we
can
find
those
small
jobs
where
they
can.
E
You
know
whatever
they
could
do
to
make
ends
meet,
but
then,
at
the
same
time
I
think
budget
is
extremely
important.
My
colleagues
in
the
virginia
assembly
know
that
every
year
I
will
come
with
my
imagine
amendments
and
I
would
ask
them
to
sign
on,
but
I
would
love
it
for
them.
I
will
call,
I
mean
individuals
with
a
disability
community
throughout
virginia
to
call
the
legislators,
so
they
could
sign
on
on
those
budget
amendments.
So
we
could
secure
more
funding
when
we
go
to
appropriations
and
so
far
we
have
been
successful.
E
You
know
I
can
complain.
I
think
that
the
individuals
with
disabilities
could
be
the
best
advocates.
Speaking
with
their
legislatures-
and
I
want
to
take
this
opportunity
to
thank
them
for
their
support,
because
I
wouldn't
be
able
to
be
successful
and
be
in
this
conversation
today
without
them
being
behind
me
and
taking
this
fight
with
me.
C
F
I
think
the
ada
made
it
through
the
political
maze,
some
of
the
major
messages
of
the
ada
looking
to
the
future,
what
role
the
ada
needs
to
play
going
forward
and
then
end
with
some
of
the
words
that
senator
tom
harkin
shared
on
final
passage
of
the
ada
when
he
made
a
dedication
first,
how
and
why.
I
think
the
ada
made
it
through
the
political
maze.
F
F
F
F
F
We
need
to
make
sure
that
artificial
intelligence,
which
is
gaining
momentum
in
use
by
companies,
including
screening,
does
not
have
the
effect
of
screening
out
qualified
people
with
disabilities
because
of
algorithm
bias.
We
must
make
sure
that
our
autonomous
vehicles
that
folks
are
developing
now
are
accessible
to
people
with
disabilities,
we're
in
the
middle
of
a
covet,
19
pandemic,
and
fortunately
the
ada
is
here,
because
some
states
were
considering.
F
F
F
A
Apologies,
I
was
muted,
thank
you
so
much
for
to
bobby
for
putting
together
that
video
and
before
we
sign
off.
I
want
to
give
just
another
minute
for
each
of
our
panelists
and
our
moderator
to
say
a
word.
So
perhaps
first
senator
makanchi
and
then
delegate
guzman.
You
could
say
a
quick
word
and
then
and
then
senator
kennedy.
D
Thank
you.
Thank
you
again
for
this
opportunity
to
be
able
to
talk
on
this
very
important
topic.
You
know
all
of
us
care
about
equal
access
to
government
equal
access
in
the
public.
You
know
I'm
somebody
who's
living
success.
I
wouldn't
be
a
senator
today
if
it
wasn't
for
the
accessibility
options
that
the
ada
guarantees
and
provides
this
is
I'm
living
out
that
story
a
success
story
of
the
ada.
Let's
keep
it
up,
let's
take
it
on
through
the
21st
century,.
E
Thank
you.
What
I
would
say
is
that
it's
been
an
honor
and
privilege
to
know
both
of
you
senators.
You
know
your,
I
mean
personal
stories
were
wonderful
and
I
will
share
them
with
my
constituencies.
So
they
can,
you
know,
relate
to
you
in
their
journey
to
dream.
I
mean
to
achieve
their
american
dream
that
they
cannot.
E
So
if
you
don't
mind,
I
will
share
your
names.
I
would
love
you
know
to
create.
You
know
an
alliance
where
I
can
reach
out
to
you
to
experts,
so
we
can
move
virginia
forward
to
a
better
place
and
be
more
inclusive
to
that
for
the
individuals
with
disabilities
and
thank
you
nscsl
for
choosing
me.
I
mean
for
following
my
record.
You
know
you
do
things
from
your
heart
and
you
never
know
who's
observing.
So
thank
you
so
much
for
including
me
on
today's
conversation.
C
Questionnaires
are
open
to
anybody
who's
running
for
for
public
office
and
it
really
is
a
road
map,
because
people
sometimes
say
to
me
ted
what
is
a
disability
issue
and
and
the
and
the
reality
is
that
we
cover
so
many
different
issues
from
what
we've
just
been
able
to
scratch
the
surface
on
today.
So
I
invite
everybody
to
go
on
to
aapd.
Look
at
the
presidential
candidate
questionnaire.
These
are
the
questions
that
we
are
asking
anybody
who's
running
for
public
office
to
respond
to,
and
it's
it's
the
roadmap
of
the
future.
A
Great,
thank
you
all
so
much.
Thank
you
to
senator
ted
kennedy
jr
for
moderating
this
engaging
discussion
and
delegate
guzman
and
senator
mcconkey.
Thank
you.
So
much,
obviously
thank
you
to
secretary
scalia
and
bobby
sillerstein
for
their
pre-recorded
messages
to
learn
more
about
the
passage
of
the
ada
and
get
a
behind-the-scenes
details.
We
invite
you
to
listen
to
ncsl's
newest
podcast.
This
american
states,
which
features
the
bill's
prime
sponsor
senator
tom
harkin
of
iowa.
A
Please
join
us
all
week
for
lively
discussions
and
presentations
as
we
celebrate
the
30th
anniversary
of
the
americans
with
disabilities
act
tomorrow
at
1
pm
eastern
time
we
will
have
our
second
webinar
on
employment
for
people
with
disabilities
and
will
feature
some
great
guests
from
the
public
and
private
sector,
so
everyone,
please
have
a
great
afternoon
and
we
look
forward
to
seeing
you
tomorrow.
Thank
you.