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Proclamation celebrating the 18th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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WHEREAS, with the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s came the beginning of a movement to provide all United States citizens, including those with disabilities, with the rights and opportunities highlighted in the Declaration of Independence; and
WHEREAS, on July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law, making it the first comprehensive law of its kind protecting the rights and liberties of disabled United States citizens; and
WHEREAS, the ADA provided Americans with disabilities with civil rights protections similar to those already established for gender, racial, ethnic, and religious minorities; and
WHEREAS, provisions of the ADA include the prohibiting of employment discrimination, a wide range of public accommodations to eliminate physical, communications, and procedural barriers to access, telecommunication services for those impaired hearing and/or speech, and accessible transportation; and
WHEREAS, the ADA, along with a multitude of individuals and organizations dedicated to advocating for the rights of disabled individuals throughout the United States, including United Cerebral Palsy of Pittsburgh, has torn down barriers that had previously prevented disabled individuals from fully participating in mainstream society;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Allegheny County Council hereby joins with United Cerebral Palsy of Pittsburgh in celebrating the 18th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. We commend all those individuals and organizations who continue to stridently fight for the rights of disabled individuals in Allegheny County and throughout the United States of America.