The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) recently marked its 12th anniversary with a celebration at the headquarters of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in July.
President George W. Bush reacts to the audience during the signing of the proclamation that marks the 12th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act in the East Room on Friday, July 26, 2002. (William Leron Jackson, a participant of the National Youth Leadership Network of Mississippi, is to the left of President Bush.)
For the past 10 years, the EEOC has been charged with enforcing the employment provisions in the legislation under Title I, which protects qualified employees and applicants with disabilities in the private sector and in state and local governments.
Former President George Bush signed the ADA into law in 1990. Within 10 days of his inauguration, President George W. Bush reaffirmed the ADA with his New Freedom Initiative, whose stated purpose is to demolish remaining barriers faced by the disabled, especially in use of assistive technology, transportation, and in houses of worship, which some view as the last bastion of inaccessibility.
Because of the high levels of unemployment among the disabled, the initiative calls for Congress to create a fund to help people with disabilities buy the equipment needed to telecommute, to give tax incentives to employers to provide equipment, and to exempt home offices from some OSHA regulations.
"Some 40 million Americans today work out of their homes," the President said in his announcement. "For most, it is a convenience. For workers with disabilities, it is a revolution."
According to EEOC Chair Cari M. Dominguez, the ADA has opened the doors and minds of many employers, but there is still a long way to go. "Through the New Freedom Initiative, the EEOC has undertaken proactive strategies to educate hundreds of small businesses about their responsibilities under the ADA and the benefits of hiring people with disabilities. The EEOC is proud to be a part of this employment revolution and we look forward to brokering more win-win partnerships between employers and this talented pool of professionals."
As part of the New Freedom Initiative, in July, the EEOC launched free workshops around the country addressing Title I of the ADA and the benefits of hiring people with disabilities.
An overview of this new program, regional staff contacts, and a developing calendar of scheduled events are available on EEOC's web site at www.eeoc.gov.
From the November 2002 issue of Diversity & The Bar®