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From: Jack.O'keeffe@f26.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Jack O'keeffe)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Legislators
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Date: 23 Jul 90 20:38:36 GMT
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 >> I cannot think of but one handicapped legislator [Hawaii]

 FW> Well, I can't either but I think I could do a lot better than some

Let's be fair, Frank.  There are a number of others, Senator Dole
for one.  He lost the use of an arm in WWII.  Just because some
disabilities are not so visible, it doesn't mean they don't exist.
And Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa has been as good a friend of disabled
people as we could ever hope for!  He's not handicapped himself, but
he has a deaf brother and understands what that means.

 FW> Whenever congress doesn't want to do something they put
 FW> it in committee and hopes it'l die.

True enough, but they didn't do that with ADA, did they.  They passed
it by impressive margins in both House and Senate.  And they didn't
spoil it with a bunch of weakening amendments!

Euphoria over the passage of ADA must be tempered with reality.
The real work has only just begun.  ADA gives us a legal basis,
but nothing meaningful will happen unless we make it happen by
asserting our rights under the new law.

The legislators have done their job.  The next step is up to us.

... Carpe Diem!

--
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