AAPD HONORS TWELFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ADA WITH THE PRESENTATION OF SIX JUSTICE FOR ALL AWARDS AND AS CO-SPONSOR OF AN ADA CELEBRATION EVENT
July 24, 2002

ADA Celebration Photos

 

 

AAPD hosted Renewing the Pledge: Celebrating Twelve Years of the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 24 in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill, to celebrate the twelfth anniversary of the ADA. Attendees included numerous members of Congress and their staffs, representatives from the media, and leaders of both the disability and business communities.

This event was held in cooperation with the Congressional Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus, which is led by Representatives Connie Morella (R-MD), James Langevin (D-RI), Jim Ramstad (R-MN) and Major Owens (D-NY). It was co-sponsored by the National Organization on Disability (N.O.D.) and ADA Watch.

John D. Kemp, AAPD co-founder and Chair, and Andrew Imparato, AAPD President and CEO, opened the event.

Rep. Morella then provided passionate welcoming comments on behalf of the Congressional Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus, which was formed in late 2001 with the purpose of serving as a forum for Members of Congress and their staffs to discuss the many issues affecting people with disabilities, and to inform, educate and raise awareness on issues affecting people with disabilities.

Michael Deland, N.O.D. Chairman, introduced the event's guest speakers, The Honorable Dick Thornburgh, former Attorney General of the United States and two-term Governor of Pennsylvania, and The Honorable Ralph Boyd, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice. Both spoke historically about the ADA and provided personal accounts and experiences, with an emphasis on the need for unflinching enforcement of all ADA inclusions.

Two separate panels addressed the ADA since passage twelve years ago. Progress & Challenges: an Overview addressed how the disability community has evolved in these past twelve years and the accomplishments that we as a community have achieved, thanks directly to the ADA legislation. Progress & Challenges: Specific Issues addressed where we go next, what hurdles the disability community can expect to encounter and how we as a community must conquer those hurdles and continue to fight for equality and empowerment.

AAPD extends its gratitude to the panel members:

Kathryn Moss, ADA Enforcement Project
Steve Gold, ADAPT
Marissa Johnson, National Youth Leadership Network
Jim Ward, ADA Watch
Nancy Starnes, N.O.D.
Jim Dickson, AAPD

AAPD extends its gratitude as well to esteemed journalist Judy Woodruff, who was panel moderator. CNN's prime anchor and senior correspondent, she added a high level of professionalism, as well as personal experiences, to this significant part of the event program.

Lastly, as highlights and scattered throughout the event, AAPD presented "Justice for All" awards to six individuals as a means to recognize these true and extraordinary champions of political and economic empowerment for all people with disabilities. Award recipients were Congressional champions John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD), Pete Sessions (R-TX) and John M. Shimkus (R-IL); Marissa Johnson, President of the National Youth Leadership Network; and Kathy Bushkin, President of the AOL Time Warner Foundation, in recognition of all of the work that America Online and the AOL Time Warner Foundation have done to meet the needs of and empower their customers and subscribers with disabilities.

Each of these individuals spoke passionately and strongly on the need to continue to uphold all components of the ADA, injected personal feelings and experiences, and pledged to continue to work on behalf of all people with disabilities in this country. Their attendance, participation and eloquent remarks energized and empowered all attendees at this event.

Representatives James Langevin and Major R. Owens provided concluding remarks on behalf of the Congressional Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus, and joined AAPD and N.O.D. in thanking all attendees for their passion, perseverance and commitment to the cause.

| Benefits | Info | Join | Other Sites | News | Feedback | Calendar | Home |