On July 26, 2005, the American Association of People with Disabilities, AAPD, hosted an event on Capitol Hill to commemorate the 15 th anniversary of the passage of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the 10th anniversary of AAPD. AAPD was founded in 1995 on the fifth anniversary of the ADA.
The audience was composed of a diverse group of disability rights leaders and champions from the Administration, government and industry. AAPD President and CEO, Andrew Imparato, emceed the celebration and presentation of five Justice for All awards. Of the honorees, Imparato said, “Unwavering leadership, creativity and heart are the characteristics that bind them together; they are extraordinary champions of justice and empowerment.” Honored were Yoshiko Dart; U.S. Senators Gordon Smith and Jim Jeffords; author and journalist Jeffery Deaver; and IBM executive vice president, innovation and technology, Nicholas Donofrio.
EOCIL Executive Director, Kirt Toombs, presented Oregon's Sen. Gordon Smith his Justice for All award.
EOCIL Executive Director Kirt Toombs congratulates U.S. Senator Gordon Smith and presents the senator with AAPD's Justice for All award. (Photo by Tom Olin)
Editor's note: The following series of remarks have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Remarks by Kirt Toombs
It is a great honor for me to be here as a representative of the Association of Oregon Centers for Independent Living, the Blanche Fischer Foundation and its C.E.O., John Dziennik, and Eastern Oregon Center for Independent Living to assist AAPD as they acknowledge your accomplishments for protecting the rights of people with disabilities.
I had to remind myself of this honor around 4 a.m. this morning when my flight landed and I finally made it to my room. I apologize to you, Andy, for the obscene comments I made toward you and John as I collapsed on my bed. However, it was well worth it all to honor one of Eastern Oregon’s own.
Last week I had a meeting with my center’s board chair for our advocacy committee — Lori Lein from Baker City — and we were discussing what direction the center needs to take in regards to advocacy. We were attempting to decide if we needed only to focus on protecting the rights of people with disabilities or do we want to look outside that box? Lori sent me a quote yesterday, as I traveled, to remind me of the importance of speaking out and taking a stand against oppression and the stripping of power and rights from others regardless if it affects us directly or not.
The quote simply reads: “First they came for the disabled, and I did not speak out because I was not disabled. Then they came for the Medicaid recipients, and I did not speak out because I was not a Medicaid recipient. Then they came for the working poor, and I did not speak out because I was not a working poor. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me.”
Senator Smith, thank you for representing Oregon and our nation so well. Thank you for being courageous and willing to speak out.
Remarks by Andy Imparato
And I know we have at least one youth leader in the audience from Oregon. I had a chance to speak to the National Youth Leadership Network, as we have a lot of folks here in town for a national training. Emily Holmes is a leader from Oregon who knows the senator.
I just wanted to add, Senator Smith, I have bipolar disorder – manic depression – and I know how much you have spoken out about the importance of human rights and dignity for people with psychiatric disabilities. You have been a leader in communicating how the disability follows the person. You are protecting Medicaid so that people with disabilities can get the services they need.
I cannot overstate how important you are to the disability movement. Thank you so much for your leadership.
Remarks by U.S. Senator Gordon Smith
Ladies and gentlemen, we're often given awards. I don't know that I have received any more beautiful than this, nor more meaningful than this.
I congratulate all of you for being involved and passing the Americans with Disabilities Act 15 years ago, and for founding this organization. We need your advocacy and we're grateful for those who speak out for those who need our help; you're the foot soldiers, and I'm thankful to be included among those.
Thank you, Kirt, for taking a flight that I know very, very well. It's called a red-eye.
And I'm thankful that Kirt is in Eastern Oregon, in Ontario. His organization serves people in my hometown, as well. So for all of your work, many thanks.
I think when we contemplate the Americans with Disabilities Act, it's important to remember that it is truly a civil rights act that was passed — and one of the most historic ever passed. And it is responsible for opening doors to polling places, to schools, to all kinds of public places that are important to be accessible to all Americans, and especially those with a disablility.
Now, I'm sure you are aware that we celebrated the Americans with Disabilities Act yesterday in a unanimous vote, and it is something that we are proud of. But there's more work to be done.
I was shocked to find out that in the state of Oregon there are some 433,000 people with disabilities who benefit from the Americans with Disabilities Act. Our state's only 3 million people; that's a big percentage of people whose civil rights are affected through this great act.
And so as we go forward to work together, I’m thankful for this award. I look forward to you helping put the shoulder to the wheel. There's more to do, and I'll be with you.
Thank you, and may God bless you.
EOCIL thanks AAPD for providing transcripts and photography.
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