Bill Clinton

“ America has always been blessed with abundant natural resources; but we sometimes fail to recognize that we have been blessed with rich human resources as well. Millions of people in thousands of professions have built this great country with their labor and made a reality of the American Dream for themselves and their families. But for 20 percent of our population, that dream has too often been deferred or denied. Americans with disabilities have had to overcome barriers in communication, transportation, architecture, and attitude to take their rightful place in our Nation's work force. ”

“ In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this second day of October, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-second. ”

“ This landmark civil rights legislation, enacted 7 years ago with bipartisan support, has opened doors and brought down barriers across our country for people with disabilities. It has empowered them with the opportunity to become employees, taxpayers, and active participants in the life of their communities.
To build on this progress, government at every level must work in partnership with business, labor, and community organizations to ensure that all Americans, regardless of disability, can live and learn and work alongside their fellow citizens. ”