President Joe Biden on Monday marked the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act with a ceremony on the White House South Lawn, referring to the landmark civil rights law as proof that Washington can work together to “ensure the American dream is available to all of us.” 

“We gotta get back to those days,” the president added. 

What You Need To Know

  • President Joe Biden on Monday marked the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act with a ceremony on the White House South Lawn, referring to the landmark civil rights law as proof that Washington can work together to “ensure the American dream is available to all of us"
  • In 1973, the Rehabilitation Act banned federal agencies from discrimination on the basis of disability, paving the way for former President George H.W. Bush in 1990 to sign the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibited the same thing in everything from employment to public accommodations 
  • Biden on Monday touted his administration’s work to further the law, noting that more than 2.2 million of the 16 million jobs created since he took office have gone to people with disabilities 
  • The president was introduced on Monday by North Wales, Pennsylvania Mayor Neil McDevitt, who told his story through sign language and a translator of being the first deaf person directly elected mayor in the U.S.

Biden, who noted that he co-sponsored the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 when he just arrived in the senate as “a kid,” said many can still recall a time when a person with a disability could be denied service at a restaurant or grocery store or be refused a job interview. 

“But for more than 61 million Americans living with disabilities, these laws are a source of opportunity, respect and pride and dignity now, dignity,” Biden said. “My dad used to say that’s the single most important thing.”

In 1973, the Rehabilitation Act banned federal agencies from discrimination on the basis of disability, paving the way for former President George H.W. Bush in 1990 to sign the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibited the same thing in everything from employment to public accommodations. 

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs conducted by federal agencies, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 prevents discrimination against disabled people on everything from employment to parking to voting. 

Biden on Monday touted his administration’s work to further the law, noting that more than 2.2 million of the 16 million jobs created since he took office have gone to people with disabilities. The White House highlighted the administration’s efforts to improve the quality of life for such Americans, citing lowering the cost of insulin for those with a disability on Medicare to $35 a month, finalizing a rule to increase the size and accessibility of restrooms on certain plans, studying the impacts of long-COVID and more. 

“Our bipartisan infrastructure law invests $6.75 billion, making the biggest investment ever in transportation accessibility, adding more wheelchair ramps, accessible restrooms,” Biden added on Monday. 

The president was introduced on Monday by North Wales, Pa., Mayor Neil McDevitt, who told his story through sign language and a translator of being the first deaf person directly elected mayor in the U.S. 

“Like many of you, I woke up one morning with rights I did not go to bed with,” McDevitt said through a translator. “The Americans with Disabilities Act made millions of Americans first class citizens in our communities overnight.” 

Biden has put a focus on highlighting what he sees as his accomplishments in office as he enters the final stretch of his more than five decades-long political career. Last week, he visited Wisconsin and Michigan to connect with Americans on how his policies have impacted their lives. 

Last year, the president was joined by actor and disability rights advocate Selma Blair, known for her roles in movies like “Legally Blonde,” to mark the law’s anniversary.