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Just after 2:00 pm ET on the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Rhode Island Rep. Jim Langevin (D) was at the House chamber rostrum as the first disabled member of Congress to preside over the floor.
Aides say the big, leather chair was removed so Langevin's wheelchair can fit. House woodworking shop crafted a smaller gavel for him. The gavel was attached to his hand with a specially made strap.
Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D) offered congratulations and lead the Pledge. Speaker Pelosi also offered her congratulations and commented on how the five-term congressman deserved the chance to lead the House like all other members, and today he is able to do that for the first time.
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Twenty years--and today we say off course. Americans with disabilities should have access to public buildings, an ability to move down the street without curb barriers, to be able to work with accommodations. Now it seems so reasonable.
The private sector was not looking out for the disabled. The disabled were constricted to work in shelters, to go into buildings through the back door, and barred to go through lunch lines and grocery stores lines because the space was not wide enough. With the passage of laws, the disabled are less limited by their physical shortcomings.
In another 20 years, there will be less prejudice toward women, race, and sexual preference. It's a shame that a whole generation of fears must pass before Americans become open to accepting one another.
From my FB Page:
Children with special needs don't have an illness, so there is no cure & they're not contagious. They want what we all want-to be accepted. Most of you won't copy & past this...but will you do it and leave it on your status for at least an hour? It's special education week & this is in honor of all the kids who need our acceptance.
Special SHOUT OUT to my daughter who works with these children every day!
Feisty: A special shout-out to you and your daughter. Teaching is hard work!! It is especially hard work teaching children with a variety of disabilities. You have reason to be very proud of her. Also, give yourself a pat on the back for teaching real family values.
Ron - Maybe SOME of us say "of course" and it seems so reasonable.....as I recall, Rand Paul still thinks if you can't climb his stairs you should bring your own elevator. Or go work somewhere else.
Feisty - Good for your daughter - I'm guessing she finds it a very rewarding job.
And hopefully 20 years from now, the next generation will be looking back and saying the same thing about the soon-to-be-repealed DADT.
Thank you Ron & JoAnne - yes she finds it very rewarding!
My cousin's oldest son was born profoundly deaf but through the efforts of the special education started very early here, he was learning to sign practically before he learned to walk. His younger brother could hear just fine but he knew his colors in sign language first; watching those two talk to each other was something special. He does have the cochlear implant now and is doing great. The early education efforts were critical. My cousin then took her signing skills to school working there to assist other children with hearing difficulties.
Feisty R. You must be very proud. It takes special, caring people to make a difference for the disabled.
Thanks Jody... I am! ;0)
Not to bring up Palin on a topic like this... BUT... my daughter could not figure out why she paraded Trig from one end of the country to the other during the campaign. Especially the late nights - bright lights and loud noise he was subjected too!
I had to point out to her that Trig was nothing more than a 'prop' for Ms. Family Values!
Special needs children need professional attention at birth no matter what the disability!
Early intervention is critical, which is one reason why she made sure her credentials allow her to teach from birth to 21.
Feisty and Jody - Couldn't agree more about the benefits of early professional attention. A very dear cousin of mine who had Down Syndrome passed away last year. But thanks to my awesome aunt and uncle and some excellent teachers along the way, he lived a very full and rewarding life. When he was born, the typical life expectancy for Down Syndrome children was about 21 years. When he passed away last year, he was 61.
By the way, Feisty, while I've tried to make an effort to understand what attracts people to Sarah Palin, the one thing I will never understand - or forgive - is how she could lug that baby around like a sack of potatoes the way she did. Your daughter's not the only one who wondered about the effect of the crowds, the noise, and let's not forget all the air travel on that poor child. Someone was talking on an earlier thread about politicians pimping out their kids for personal gain. You'd have to go some to top that act.
Agreed JoAnn!
No-one can top that...
Then there was the other little one... Piper?
Who in the Matt Lauer interview said how much school she had missed and how hard it was to catch up!
As a mother I have to ask... WHAT is WRONG her! Children are the most precious things in the world and she uses them as props for personal gain!
P.S. - That being said, as a general rule I think families should be off limits - Palin's included - so that'll be my first, last, and only comment on the subject.
To all the the trolls please don't confuse the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act") with the American Dental Association or "government take over". What a great honor it must be for democractic Rhode Island Rep. Jim Langevin to take advantage of this act while in Congressand to be the first disabled member to preside over the floor
Well said Beverly!!
Beverly,
Well said!!
Not thinking like a troll, that thought had not even occurred to me.
Thanks so much.
AWESOME Bev!
Ron Indiana
You bring up a great point. It will not be years, hopefully, before the Bush Tax Cuts will have eliminated the "corporate socialism" for the top 2% of Americans.
I try Ron.
Thank you Tom Harkin and Bob Dole.
Ron, I doubt the Hawkeye's will duplicate last year, that was pretty crazy, but we should be strong. We're lucky as far as scheduling, most of our toughest teams will be played in Iowa City. (Penn State, Michigan, MSU, Wisc, & Ohio State)
bob-1805084
I'll bet the trolls won't know what the ADA is until Glenn Beck goes absolutely blind. I've often thought of Glenn Beck as sightless.
I've never seen Beck's show, so I'll have to take your word for it. You obviously watch and know more about Beck than I do.
Ron, Beverly and Feisty,
Not much more I can add to those great ideas. Special kudos to your daughter Feisty and those on this board that work with, support and help all people with a disability. Funny thing about disability, it does not care if you are a democrat, republican, conservative, liberal, progressive, white, black, green, blue, yellow, male, female, gay, not gay, catholic, Jew, Muslim, and on and on.
I remeber those years prior to the ADA and they were hell for many people. I am just gald that this is one thing (of many) that we Americans got right.
Again a special thanks to everybody who supports this and works with these courageous people. I have seen some horrors that I swear I could never endure. Those with disabilities that have to endure the pain, , fear, pity etc are the strongest people I know and many of them are just pure inspiration to me. My brother died from MS and when I would get down on myself and and go through those self pity moments that we all do and wonder why did I deserve this or that, I would look at Dennis and be ashamed at how shallow and self absorbed I was being. He was my hero and I think of him often.
Enough said. Just a big thanks to all who help.
Amen Retired - I'm going to show this to my daughter!
Sorry to hear about your brother...
For those of us that have to go through the pain, cost, and frustraition of making the modifications that have made ADA standards part of our everyday lives; these are the moments that cause us to step back and realize the full impact and benefit we have provided to so many.
It's ironic though that the public tour of the White House didn't become accessible until 1999. And then, according to the Secret Service agent that escorted me up the service elevator, it wasn't made accessible because of ADA but rather because all of the wheelchairs coming in the exit without being screened were a security threat.
It's ironic though that the public tour of the White House didn't become accessible until 1999. And then, according to the Secret Service agent that escorted me up the service elevator, it wasn't made accessible because of ADA but rather because all of the wheelchairs coming in the exit without being screened were a security threat.
I have been a paraplegic for four decades, and most of my experience is preADA. Although much has been accomplished, bias is still alive and well. I must be put in an aisle until the TSA get around to checking me out at the airport, sometimes 45 minutes. They talk about profiling but they never discuss how that unfairly applies to the disabled. Have you ever heard of a person in a wheelchair blowing up a plane? I moved to a new state with my husband who is not disabled, I had to take both driving tests but my husband only had to take one. The assumption is that disabled people are less safe when driving. Of course, automobile studies have consistently demonstrated that we are the safest group on the road. I really appreciate the physical obstacles being removed but the bias and stereotyping can be so much more ominous and destructive. Oh and disabled parking placards, they only support the pseudo disabled. Most of the permanently disabled people can never find a space because the placards get disseminated to family members who want the convenience. I believe that placards should have pics on them to prove that the driver or passenger is genuinely in need.
Carole - Great post - I wish more people had the opportunity to read it. I couldn't agree more that non-disabled people should also be required to pass both vision and driving tests again every few years. I was 17 the last time I took a test and I'm now 58 - a million things could have changed in that time. And I know that if my father hadn't passed away when he did a few years ago, we had a huge battle brewing over whether or not he should still be allowed to drive because of both his vision loss and his loss of concentration ability. From the sounds of it, I'd much rather have you beside me on the road any day.
As for the handicapped placards, they're a joke - you can pull into a Wal-Mart parking lot any day of the week and find 20 cars with them in the reserved spots, yet when you go in the store there's no one in sight in a wheelchair or with any other apparent disability. I realize that some people have them for less obvious physical ailments and some have them to assist family memebers with disabilities, but it's still obvious there is serious abuse going on with these.
Again, thanks for your thoughts and I hope you'll continue to post on this board - you'd add a much-needed perspective here.