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My name is Kareem Dale, and I am the special assistant to the president for disability
policy. To me, the ADA has meant the fact that people
with disabilities are no longer treated like second class citizens.
In 1990, when the ADA was passed I was a senior in high school and getting ready to make my
matriculation into college. So what it meant for me is that over the next 8 years through
undergrad and through law school and getting my MBA that I would now be able to receive
the services and the supports that the ADA provided.
So it meant the chance for me once and for all to be equal to my peers and to have the
opportunity to excel on the merits just like everybody else. And that is what millions
of people around the country fought for, and I think all of us owe a debt a gratitude to
those folks that fought for years and years to get this legislation passed.
My role at the White House is to help lead the president’s efforts on disability policy
and disability outreach and engagement. I sit tin the office of public engagement, which
is the front door to the White House responsible for outreach working with the public to make
sure they are integrated and included into what we are doing in the president’s administration.
I also sit in the domestic policy council as a disability policy advisor for the president,
leading on efforts in eduction, employment, technology and other areas.
I think my hope is that we will continue to grow. Since 1990 we’ve made a tremendous
amout of progress, there’s no question about that. From curb cuts to reasonable acomidations
to better education and better transportation systems, but we’ve got a lot of work to
do. So if we can over the president’s term,
over president’s time in office can continue to build upon that.. if we can work to improve
the education system so that every child, no matter his or her disability, no matter
whether he or she has a disability – has a chance to receive a world class education,
if we can become a model employer in the federal government so that hiring of people with disabilities
is on par with other cnstituentieces, if we can work with the private sector to bring
about better technology for people with disabilities and we can work with the private sector so
that their employment of people with disabilities is better, if we can work on ensuring that
every American is able to obtain health care so that that is not an issue that precludes
them from working and being successful, I think we will have made an immeasurable contribution
to moving forward for the 54 million people with disabilities around the country.
My name is Kareem Dale. This is my story. Will you share your story?
Visit www.disability.gov to find out how you can help us continue to progress.