The International Day of Disabled Persons is a day to celebrate the vital contributions people with disabilities make to their societies, in spite of the many obstacles that stand in their way. Their primary obstacles are usually not their disabilities, but the barriers that hinder their full integration into the workforce and social life of their nations.

With the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, America promised individuals with disabilities that they would face no such hindrances to their participation in their communities.

Unfortunately, over the past three years, the basic rights and liberties the ADA protects have been under siege. President Bush entered office promising to attack "the barriers to equality that face many of the 54 million Americans with disabilities." But he has done just the opposite. Although it was his father who signed the ADA into law, President Bush has winnowed away many of our hard-won gains by appointing judges who want to limit the ADA, and by weakening government monitoring and enforcement of the ADA.

Tony Coelho, a former Congressman and co-author of the ADA, has issued a challenge to all candidates to promote an agenda that champions the rights of Americans with disabilities to work. Today, I gladly accept the challenge. After three years of backtracking, we must change course and move forward toward the fulfillment of the ADA's promise. After all, people with disabilities - people who are blind, people living with HIV, people with mental disabilities, people who lost a limb at war, and so many others - make up almost one fifth of our nation. And no less than other Americans, they deserve a government that will defend their rights and guarantee them the liberty, choice, and opportunity that are the hallmarks of American life.

In recognition of the International Day of Disabled Persons, I am releasing guidelines on accessibility for campaign events, together with an issue paper outlining my agenda for people with disabilities. My plan is based on three important principles: protecting rights, safeguarding choices, and expanding opportunity. Encouraging inclusiveness and eliminating obstacles to service and participation are at the core of my campaign. I look forward to working with the disability community to achieve our common goals in the coming months and years.

» Read Wesley Clark's Agenda for People with Disabilities