----- Original Message ----- From: "Justice For All Moderator" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, November 22, 1999 1:25 PM Subject: Senator Ted Kennedy on WIIA. Celebrate WIIA Tuesday with Ted! > > Justice For All > > [log in to unmask] > > Senator Ted Kennedy on WIIA. Celebrate WIIA Tuesday with Ted! > > STATEMENT OF SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY ON THE > PASSAGE OF THE TICKET TO WORK AND WORK INCENTIVES IMPROVEMENT > ACT OF 1999. NOVEMBER 19, 1999 > > "Today, Congress will complete action on the Ticket to Work and > Work Incentives Improvement Act, and this important legislation will > go at long last to the White House. When President Clinton signs > this bill into law, he will truly be signing a modern Declaration of > Independence for millions of men and women with disabilities in > communities across the country who will have a priceless new opportunity > to fulfill their hopes and dreams of living independent and productive > lives. > > We know how far we have come in the ongoing battle over many decades > to ensure that people with disabilities have the independence they need > to be participating members of their communities. > > Sixty-seven years ago this month we elected a disabled American for > the highest office in the land. He became one of our greatest > Presidents, but Franklin D. Roosevelt felt compelled by the prevailing > attitudes of his times to conceal his disability as much as possible. > The World War II Generation began to change all that. The 1950s showed > the nation a new class of people people with disabilities as > veterans returned from war to an inaccessible society. Each decade > since then has brought significant progress. > > In the 1960s, Congress responded with new architectural standards, > so we could build a society that everyone could be a part of. > > The 1970s convinced us that full participation in society was needed not > only for disabled veterans, but for disabled children and family members, and > for those injured in everyday accidents. Congress responded with a range of > federally funded programs which improved the lives of people with mental > retardation, supported the rights of children with disabilities to go to > school, ensured the right of people with disabilities to vote, and gave > people with disabilities greater access to health care. > > The 1980s brought a new realization that when we are talking about > assisting people with disabilities, we must not look only to federal > programs, but to the private sector as well. Congress again responded by > guaranteeing fair housing opportunities for people with disabilities, by > ensuring access to air travel, and making telecommunication advances > available for people who are hard of hearing or deaf. > > The 1990s brought us the Americans with Disabilities Act, which > promised every disabled citizen a new and better life, in which > disability would no longer put an end to the American dream. > > But too often, for too many Americans, the promise of the ADA has > been unfulfilled. Now, with this legislation, we will finally link > civil rights clearly with health care. It isn't civil and it isn't > right to send a person to work without the health care they need and > deserve. > > As Bob Dole stated in his eloquent testimony to the Finance > Committee earlier this year, this issue is about people going to work > "it is about dignity and opportunity and all the things we talk > about, when we talk about being an American." > > Millions of disabled men and women in this country want to work > and are able to work. But they have been denied the opportunity to > work because they lack access to needed health care. As a result, > the nation has been denied their talents and their contributions to > our communities. > > Current laws are an anachronism. Modern medicine and modern > technology make it easier than ever before for disabled persons to > have productive lives and careers. Current laws are often a greater > obstacle to that goal than their disability itself. It's ridiculous > that we punish disabled persons who dare to take a job by penalizing > them financially, by taking away their health insurance lifeline, > and by placing other unfair obstacles in their path. > > Currently, there are approximately 9 million working-age adults > who receive disability benefits, many of whom could take jobs if they > could keep their governmentally financed health benefits. A national > survey earlier this year showed that, while 76 percent of people with > disabilities wanted to work, nearly 75 percent are unemployed. > Currently, only of 1% leave the disability roles to return to work. > > Disability groups have estimated that about 2 million of the > 8 million would consider forgoing disability payments and take jobs > as a result of this legislation. > > The estimated cost of this new program would be recouped if only > 70,000 people leave the disability benefit roles. If 210,000 of them > take jobs, the government would actually save $1billion annually in > disability payments. > > That 210,000 constitutes only 10% of the number of people who > the disability community believe will avail themselves of this > program. If their estimates are even close to accurate, the savings > to the federal government could eventually $10 billion per year. > > Today is a new beginning for persons with disabilities in their > pursuit of the American dream. > > This bill corrects the injustice they have unfairly suffered. > > The Work Incentives Improvement Act removes these unfair barriers > to work that face so many Americans with disabilities: > > It makes health insurance available and affordable when a disabled > person goes to work, or develops a significant disability while working. > > It gives people with disabilities greater access to the services > they need to become successfully employed. > > It phases out the loss of cash benefits as income rises, instead of > the unfair sudden cut-off that workers with disabilities face today. > > It places work incentive planners in communities, rather than in > bureaucracies, to help workers with disabilities learn how to obtain > the employment services and support they need. > > Many leaders in communities throughout the country have worked > long and hard and well to help us reach this milestone. They are > consumers, family members, citizens, and advocates. They showed > us how current job programs for people with disabilities are failing > them and forcing them into poverty. > > We have worked together for many months to develop effective ways > to right these wrongs. And to all of them I say, thank you for helping > us to achieve this needed legislation. It truly represents legislation > of the people, by the people and for the people. It is all of you who > have been the fearless, tireless warriors for justice. > > When we think of citizens with disabilities, we tend to think of > men and women and children who are disabled from birth. But fewer than > 15% of all people with disabilities are born with their disabilities. > A bicycle accident or a serious fall or a serious illness can suddenly > disable the healthiest and most physically able person. > > In the long run, this legislation may be more important than any > other action we have taken in this Congress. It offers a new and > better life to large numbers of our fellow citizens. Disability need > no longer end the American dream. That was the promise of the > Americans with Disabilities Act a decade ago, and this legislation > dramatically strengthens our fulfillment of that promise. > > This bill has a human face. It is for Alice in Oklahoma, who was > disabled because of multiple sclerosis and receives SSDI benefits. > She will now be able to get personal assistance to work and live in > her community. No longer will she have to use all of her savings and > half of her wages to pay for personal assistance and prescription > drugs. No longer will she be left in poverty. > > This bill is for Tammy in Indiana, who has cerebral palsy and > uses a wheelchair and works part-time at Wal-Mart. No longer will > she be forced to restrict her hours of work. Her goal of becoming > a productive citizen will no longer denied because now she will > have access to the health care she needs. > > This bill is for Abby in Massachusetts, who is six years old > and has mental retardation. Her parents are very concerned about > her future. Already, she has been denied coverage by two health > insurance firms because of the diagnosis of mental retardation. > Without Medicaid, her parents would be bankrupted by her current > medical bills. Now, when Abby enters the work force, she will not > have to live in poverty or lose her Medicaid coverage. All that > will change, and she will have a fair opportunity to work and > prosper. > > This bill is for many other citizens whose stories are told in > this diary, called "A Day in the Life of a Person with a Disability." > > Disabled people are not unable. Our goal in this legislation is > to banish the stereotypes, to reform and improve existing disability > programs, so that they genuinely encourage and support every disabled > person's dream to work and live independently, and be a productive > and contributing member of their community. That goal should be the > birthright of all Americans and with this legislation, we are > taking a giant step toward that goal. > > A story from the debate on the Americans with Disabilities Act > illustrates the point. A postmaster in a town was told that he must > make his post office accessible. The building had 20 steep steps > leading up to a revolving door at the only entrance. The postmaster > questioned the need to make such costly repairs. He said, "I've been > here for thirty-five years, and in all that time, I've yet to see a > single customer come in here in a wheelchair." As the Americans with > Disabilities Act has proved so well, if you build the ramp, they > will come, and they will find their field of dreams. This bill builds > new ramps, and vast numbers of the disabled will now come to work. > > The road to economic prosperity and the right to a decent wage > must be more accessible to all Americans no matter how many steps > stand in the way. That is our goal in this legislation. It is the > right thing to do, and it is the cost effective thing to do. And > now we are finally doing it. > > Eliminating these barriers to work will help disabled Americans > to achieve self-sufficiency. We are a better and stronger and fairer > country when we open the door of opportunity to all Americans, and > enable them to be equal partners in the American dream. For millions > of Americans with disabilities, this bill is a declaration of > independence that can make the American dream come true. Now, when > we say "equal opportunity for all," it will be clear that we mean all. > > No one in America should lose their medical coverage which can > mean the difference between life and death if they go to work. No > one in this country should have to choose between buying a decent meal > and buying the medication they need. > > Nearly a year ago, President Clinton signed an executive order > to increase employment and health care coverage for people with > disabilities. Today, with strong bipartisan support, Congress is > demonstrating its commitment to our fellow disabled citizens. > But our work is far from done. > > This bill is only the first step in the major reform of the > Social Security disability programs that will enable individuals > with disabilities to have the rights and privileges that all other > Americans enjoy. 54 million Americans with disabilities are waiting > for our action. We will not stop today, we will not stop tomorrow, > we will not ever stop until America works for all Americans. > > I especially commend President Clinton, Vice President Gore, > Secretary Shalala, and many others in the Administration for their > unwavering commitment and support in helping us to achieve the > bipartisan legislation that has brought us to this historic day. > And John Podesta and Chris Jennings saw this through to the very end. > > In addition, I commend Senator Jeffords, Senator Roth, and > Senator Moynihan for their indispensable leadership on this landmark > legislation. I also commend the many Senate staff members whose > skilled assistance contributed so much to this achievement > especially Jennifer Baxendale, Alec Vachon, and Frank Polk of Senator > Roth's staff, Kristin Testa, John Resnick, Edwin Park, and David > Podoff of Senator Moynihan's staff, Pat Morrissey, Lu Zeph, Chris > Crowley, Jim Downing, and Mark Powden of Senator Jeffords' staff, > and Connie Garner, Jim Manley, Jonathan Press, and Michael Myers > of my own staff, and the many other staff members on the Health > Committee and the Finance Committee who have been a critical part > of the effort. > > No longer will disabled Americans be left out and left behind. > The Ticket to Work and the Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 is > an act of courage, an act of community, and above all, an act of hope > for the future." > > -- > > Please Join Senator Edwward Kennedy in celebrating the passage of the > Work Incentives Improvement Act: A Ticket to Work. > > Where: > Bell Atlantic Lobby > 125 High Street (Enter on Pearl Street) > Boston, Massachusetts > > When: > Tuesday, November 23, 1999 at 1:00 pm > > RSVP: email [log in to unmask] > > -- > Fred Fay > Justice For All > [log in to unmask] > http://www.jfanow.org > > ===================================================================== > Justice-For-All FREE Subscriptions > To subscribe or unsubscribe, send mail to [log in to unmask] > with one or the other in the body of your message: > subscribe justice > unsubscribe justice > >