Protecting every American's opportunity to work, compete, and participate in public life

Independence, freedom, choice, and opportunity are basic American values. They are part of our core civil rights that many in this country take for granted. Unfortunately, Americans with disabilities understand that these rights must be fought for and vigorously protected. The Americans with Disabilities Act was the most important civil rights legislation of the last decade. It represented a crucial step forward in opening new opportunities for people with disabilities and providing basic protections against discrimination. For the past three years, the Bush administration has remained idle while an activist judiciary has steadily undermined the federal government's power to preserve these protections. It is high time that we reverse this trend.

As President, I will safeguard these citizens' valued place in society. I will:

• Appoint judges who are committed to upholding the law - including the ADA - instead of imposing their personal ideology on it.
• Propose an Americans with Disability Restoration Act to reinstate the originally intended definitions of disability and reasonable accommodation, which the Rehnquist Court has persistently whittled away.
• Encourage employment for people with disabilities by demanding appropriate hiring practices within my own administration, implementing President Clinton's executive order calling for 100,000 more disabled employees in federal government service, and changing federal contracting practices. I pledge that individuals with disabilities will be well represented both in and by my administration.
• Reform federal programs so that disabled people do not lose health care or social security benefits when they earn income through work, and abolish fully and immediately the Disabled Veterans Tax, which penalizes disabled American veterans who earn retirement benefits and disability compensation.
• Support passage of the Medical Community Attendant Services and Supports Act, because no one should be forced into an institutional setting based solely on the need for personal attendant services.
• Advocate passage of the Family Opportunity Act, because the health and education of children needs to be our top national priority, and this legislation will provide relief to families of children with severe disabilities.
• Work to fully fund IDEA (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), which - together with my proposed $40 billion state and local tax rebate fund - will relieve the pressure on cash-strapped states without placing additional burdens on the families of children with disabilities.
• Ensure that the government monitors and enforces ADA compliance with the energy and commitment appropriate to the task. We must fully fund the EEOC and civil rights divisions of the Justice Department.
• Work together with Congress and the National Council on Disability to enhance the accessibility of postsecondary education for all students.

Almost one in five Americans is living with a disability, but exuding a New American Patriotism that no physical or mental challenge can impair. As President, I will honor these unsung heroes and their important contributions to our national life.