Americans with Disabilities Act: George H. W. Bush signed the ADA into law in 1990 as a bipartisan effort to provide equal access to people with disabilities. In recent years, federal courts have upheld most of the ADA, but have also ruled that some sections are unconstitutional.

George W. Bush:

Description of candidate's position: Bush supports the enforcement of the ADA and his administration settled lawsuits and enforced ADA compliance requirements. The ADA is specific to issues of redress and enforcement, but Bush considers his "New Freedom Initiative" an extension of the ADA. The initiative, an executive order that relies on Congress to fund several of its mandates, focuses on increasing accessibility for Americans with disabilities in areas ranging from employment to transportation to housing. Bush proposes continuing and strengthening his "New Freedom Initiative" in order to strengthen the ADA. Both Bush and Kerry have declined to speak at the Americans with Disabilities 2004 Convention..

Quotation from the candidate: "I will continue to pursue the policies I proposed in the New Freedom Initiative-the most comprehensive proposal since the ADA that is focused on removing barriers faced by people with disabilities. . . My Administration will continue to fight to ensure that all opportunities remain open to persons with disabilities by vigorously enforcing the ADA, aggressively resolving disability-related complaints, and continuing to implement my New Freedom Initiative." July, 2004.

Assessment of the proposal:

Positive: The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Health Task Force Members, a coalition of national organizations, wrote an open letter to the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson to support President Bush's New Freedom Initiative program. Specifically, they write "The Administration's recent 'New Freedom Initiative' includes the worthy goal of helping individuals with disabilities through 'increasing access to assistive technologies, expanding educational opportunities, increasing the ability of Americans with disabilities to integrate into the workforce, and promoting increased access into daily community life.'"

Negative: Marta Russell, author of Beyond Ramps: Disability at the End of the Social Contract, argues that, while the main tenets of the New Freedom Initiative are important to Americans with disabilities, there is very little funding to support the initiatives. Specifically, she asserts that technological advancements are essential for those with disabilities, but that Bush's plan requires disabled Americans to take out a loan to pay for the technology, which she claims is impossible for many with disabilities.

Comparison: Bush and Kerry support the ADA and believe in its continued funding and enforcement. Kerry specifically opposes the ADA Notification Act, but Bush does not take a position on the act. Kerry also supports the clarification of the insurance safe harbor provision, which Bush does not address. Bush proposes extending the New Freedom Initiative and Kerry does not specifically endorse the initiative. However, Kerry proposes a variety of new programs to help bolster the ADA's effectiveness, which are similar to the proposals outlined in the New Freedom Imitative that Bush supports. http://www.johnkerry.com/communities/awd/awd_vision.html.

Sources: All sources are linked to the relevant passage.

Link to Kerry's ADA page.

Link to Kerry's ADA issue page