Congressman David Trone and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer Host Roundtable to Honor 31st Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 21, 2021
Contact: Hannah Muldavin, Hannah.Muldavin@mail.house.gov
Congressman David Trone and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer Host Roundtable to Honor 31st Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Rep. David Trone and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer with panelists Melissa Blubaugh, John Michaels, Rosa Raez, and Larry Bram. You can watch a replay of the conversation here.
WASHINGTON — To commemorate the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Representative David Trone (MD-06) hosted a roundtable with Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (MD-05) on disability independence with local disability rights experts and activists. You can watch the event here.
“Despite the impact that the ADA has had on so many Americans, it continues to be important that we have an open dialogue about the issues that people with disabilities face every day,” said Representative Trone. “Over 60 million Americans in our nation live with some form of disability, many of which are not immediately obvious or apparent. It is our job to have discussions like this one so that we can bring awareness to a community that is so important to our country.”
The panelists included Melissa Blubaugh from the Maryland Statewide Independent Living Council; John Michaels, the Assistant Director at Resources for Independence; Rosa Raez, the Hispanic Outreach Coordinator at The Arc of Frederick County; and Larry Bram, the Senior Vice President of Innovation and Program Development at Easterseals DC MD VA.
The group discussed equitable housing, ways to ensure access to affordable health care including tele and mental health, the racial and ethnic disparities that exist when it comes to access and inequity for those who live with disabilities, and the unemployment rate among the disability community.
Thirty-one years ago the ADA was signed into law; Majority Leader Hoyer was the chief sponsor of the bill in the House of Representatives. This monumental piece of civil rights legislation bans discrimination against those with disabilities when it comes to employment, school, and transportation. The law ensures that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else, but unfortunately people with disabilities still face obstacles. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics last year only about 30% of working age adults with disabilities were employed. That’s unacceptable, and we must take action to ensure that those with disabilities are given an equal opportunity.
Congressman David Trone was elected to the House of Representatives in November 2018 to serve the 6th District of Maryland, which includes all or part of Montgomery, Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett Counties. Trone serves on the Appropriations, Veterans’ Affairs, and Joint Economic Committees in the 117th Congress and previously served on the Education and Labor and Foreign Affairs Committees. In Congress, Trone is fighting to make progress on issues that matter to Marylanders, including the mental health and addiction crises, criminal justice reform, and funding for medical research.
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