Promoting Equal Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency for Individuals with Disabilities
"We've come so far as a country in the 20 years since passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the 35 years of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. But our work is far from over. We must continue to fight for policies that promote equal opportunity, full participation, self-determination, independent living and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities and their families." - Senator Tom Harkin
More than 20 years ago, as a young member of the U.S. Senate, Tom Harkin was given the opportunity to craft groundbreaking legislation offering vital civil rights for individuals with disabilities. He had learned firsthand of the discrimination faced by this community from his brother, Frank, who lost his hearing at a very young age. Watching the low expectations and lack of accessibility his brother experienced, Senator Harkin witnessed the many ways that people with disabilities are prevented from fully participating in activities that most Americans take for granted.