Res 0760-2015

By Council Members Cohen, Vallone, Mendez, Gibson, Wills. Arroyo, Chin, Constantinides, Kallos and Koslowitz Whereas, On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed into law the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), and Whereas, According to the organization ADAAnniversary.org (ADAA), the ADA was the world's first comprehensive declaration of equality for people with disabilities; and Whereas, As the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division (DOJ) notes, the ADA is one of America's most comprehensive pieces of civil rights legislation, prohibiting discrimination and guaranteeing that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to participate in the mainstream of American life -- to enjoy employment opportunities, to purchase goods and services, and to participate in State and local government programs and services; and Whereas, ADAA further states that it was a collaborative effort of Democrats, Republicans, the legislative and the executive branches, federal and state agencies, and people with and without disabilities that caused the ADA to become law; and Whereas, DOJ also points out that the ADA prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in employment, state and local government services, public accommodations, commercial facilities, and transportation, and that it also mandates the establishment of TDD/telephone relay services; and Whereas, DOJ also says that the ADA was modeled after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, and that together with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibited discrimination on the basis of disability in programs conducted by federal agencies, in programs receiving federal financial assistance, in federal employment, and in the employment practices of federal contractors, the ADA is an "equal opportunity" law for people with disabilities; and Whereas, ADAA further avers that President George H.W. Bush's emphatic directive on that day - "Let the shameful walls of exclusion finally come tumbling down" - neatly encapsulated the simple yet long overdue message of the ADA: that millions of Americans with disabilities are full-fledged citizens and as such are entitled to legal protections that ensure them equal opportunity and access to the mainstream of American life; and Whereas, The Mayor's Office For People With Disabilities in July 2015 will host a curated museum exhibition highlighting key moments in the history of the ADA and the evolution of the disability rights movement in NYC; and Whereas, The Center For The Independence of the Disabled (CID-NY) recognizing that 2015 marks the 25th anniversary of the landmark civil rights law, states that over 25 years, "we've seen people with disabilities strive and succeed in education and in the workplace, live independently in the community, and access and benefit from services provided by schools, hospitals, and public transportation"; and Whereas, CID-NY cautions, however, that "removing barriers for people with disabilities has not been an easy process, [that] it has been a series of continued efforts by people in our community, activists, and organizations and that we've worked in courtrooms, through collective action, and by changing societal attitudes; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York recognizes and honors the 25th anniversary of the July 26, 1990 signing of The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990. MB LS 4920 5/27/15 1