Presentation by Marca Bristo before the Presidential Task Force on Employment of Adults with Disabilities

Presentation by Marca Bristo, Chairperson
National Council on Disability
before
the Presidential Task Force on Employment of
Adults with Disabilities

December 8, 1999

As chairperson of the National Council on Disability (NCD), I am delighted to be working with Secretary Herman, Chairman Coelho, and the other distinguished members of the Task Force to develop and implement a policy agenda that will truly empower people with disabilities to make choices, pursue meaningful careers, and participate fully in all aspects of American society. I commend the inexhaustible efforts of the disability community's grassroots organizations in working with congressional leaders to bring the Work Incentives measure to fruition. This legislation is but one example of how we can work together to translate the promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into the reality of good jobs and a share of the remarkable prosperity being enjoyed by most Americans.

History was made this year, with the passage of the Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999. As we await the President's imminent signature on that bipartisan piece of legislation, we can all take pride in knowing that this law will be a step in the right direction for people with disabilities. However, the real work will now shift to the states.

As we move into the new millennium, I look forward to our continued work together to open up real employment options for the millions of Americans who feel stuck in programs that were designed with an assumption that people with disabilities don't work. We do and we will.

As the independent agency charged with advising the President and Congress on public policy issues affecting 54 million Americans with disabilities and their families, NCD is currently coordinating a multi-year study on the implementation of ADA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and other civil rights laws. Our work also focuses on how to improve outcomes in education, employment, and civil rights enforcement for people with disabilities from culturally diverse populations. To that end, NCD worked with the White House and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights this past July to celebrate the 9th anniversary of ADA. The Task Force chair, vice chair, and other members also participated. It is our hope to elevate the voices of minorities and culturally diverse populations of people with disabilities to make the policy landscape more inclusive and responsive to the needs of these important populations. NCD's recently completed report Life Every Voice: Modernizing Disability Policies and Programs to Serve a Diverse Nation focuses on these important topics and will soon be available in Spanish and Chinese. Copies will be sent to all Task Force members.

This Task Force has been given a great opportunity to improve the quality of life and real choices available to generations of Americans with disabilities. NCD will continue to lend our support to all of the efforts of the Task Force. We are particularly interested in working to ensure effective enforcement of disability civil rights laws; to reform the Social Security and publicly-funded health and long-term care programs to reward work and promote independence; to ensure that information technology is designed to be accessible to all people; and to address the unique needs of youth with disabilities and people with disabilities from minority and rural communities.

In closing, I commend Alexis Herman, Tony Coelho, and the other members of the Task Force for their hard work and dedication. The year 2000 will not just be the start of the new millennium, it will also mark the 10th anniversary of ADA and the 25th anniversary for IDEA. Today, people with disabilities continue to live in poverty and isolation because of outdated public policies and social attitudes. Now is the time for us to work even harder. We must seize day and wield the considerable force of our collective agencies to break down the barriers that keep people with disabilities from reaching their rights places in society. We must work together if we are to see a more productive and diverse American workforce.