8712 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS May 9, 1989 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS THE AMERICANS WITH ployed, and when employed, they are consist­ have consistently concluded that disabled and DISABILITIES ACT ently underpaid. nondisabled workers are equally productive. A Colossal unemployment and poverty among survey of such research studies concluded: HON. TONY COELHO the disabled often goes unchallenged be­ "* * * the existing literature appears to show OF CALIFORNIA cause the public has the general impression both that the disabled who are working are as IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that these are the inevitable results of dis­ productive in their jobs as their coworkers and abling conditions. The absence of disabled that employers perceived the handicapped as Tuesday, May 9, 1989 coworkers by our side is taken as confirmation being comparably productive." Mr. COELHO. Mr. Speaker, today I and over that disabled people can't work. Discriminato­ Another significant finding from the Harris 60 of our colleagues, are introducing the ry attitudes hold that a person using a wheel­ poll dispels a common myth about the cost of Americans with Disabilities Act [ADA]. This chair, or a deaf or blind person can't perform hiring disabled persons. "Seventy-five percent historic piece of legislation will prohibit dis­ a job. Quite often, minor adjustments in of managers said that the cost of employing crimination against America's largest minority, schedule or work distribution among employ­ persons with disabilities is not greater than the people with disabilities, in employment, trans­ ees or office structure and equipment is all cost of hiring nondisabled workers." Similarly, portation, public accommodations, and the ac­ that is needed to make a job perfectly doable studies show that accommodating disabled tivities of State and local governments. It will by qualified disabled applicants. Sometimes, workers is viewed as inexpensive and on-bur­ provide disabled Americans comparable civil no adjustments are necessary at all, all the densome to companies which have tried it. rights protections to those afforded on the person needs is a chance. Unfortunately, data from the Harris poll indi­ bases of race, sex, national origin, age, and Similar discriminatory attitudes hold that you cated that without some new stimulus, the religion. can't employ someone with epilepsy because employment of disabled people is unlikely to Most people do not regard disabled people they may have a seizure on the job, when increase much. Most managers thought their as a large group, or as an unfairly treated today the overwhelming majority of people company was already doing enough to employ group, or as an economically disadvantaged with epilepsy have their physical conditions disabled people and shouldn't make greater group. Yet disabled people constitute a major under control through medication. The same efforts to do so. Employers gave the hiring of portion of our society. The last U.S. census discriminatory attitudes hold that a person disabled people a lower priority than the hiring numbered the disabled at 36 million. Esti­ with a facial disfigurement or spastic condition of people from other minority groups and el­ mates indicate that figure has risen to 43 mil­ is so repellant that they shouldn't be em­ lion since then. And every day, many of those ployed around others. Can we really go on ac­ derly persons. Furthermore, disabled people 43 million persons suffer some form of dis­ cepting the fact that some persons are denied are the least likely to be viewed as an excel­ crimination for no other reasons than the fact jobs simply because they don't look right? lent source of employees. that they are disabled. Findings from the 1986 Harris poll indicated A ban on employment discrimination will be A nationwide poll conducted in 1986 by that not working is perhaps the truest defini­ necessary if the ob\lious potential of disabled Louis Harris and Associates entitled "Bringing tion of what it means to be disabled. Two­ Americans to work is to become a reality. Disabled Americans into the Mainstream," de­ thirds of all disabled Americans between the Thus, the need is great for a strong national termined that discrimination is frequently ex­ ages of 16 and 64 are not working. Only 1 in mandate such as the Americans with Disabil­ perienced by the disabled. The survey identi­ 4 works full time, and another 1O percent ities Act. fied a variety of types of discrimination includ­ work part-time. Furthermore, unemployment Another pervasive form of disability discrimi­ ing lack of access to public buildings and among persons with disabilities as a group is nation is architectural and communication bar­ public bathrooms, and the absence of acces­ a bigger problem than among any other de­ riers in public accommodations. These facili­ sible transportation. Clearly one-fourth of mographic group of working-age Americans. ties, including restaurants, stores, hotels, audi­ those interviewed said they personally had en­ Another significant finding was that 66 per­ toriums, theaters, professional offices, parks, countered job discrimination because of their cent of working age persons with disabilities, et cetera, have generally been designed for disabilities. In a subsequent Harris poll of em­ who are not working, want to have a job. This an ideal user with average physical proficien­ ployers in 1987, three-fourths of business overwhelming absence from the labor force of cy. As such, they are inaccessible to many in­ managers revealed that people with disabil­ people with a strong desire to work is a tragic dividuals with disabilities. ities often encounter job discrimination from failure of the American dream and a waste of Though progress has been made in devel­ employers. labor resources. oping architectural standards to eliminate bar­ It is the responsibility of Congress as Feder­ The majority of unemployed disabled riers in the construction of buildings, and de­ al policymakers to ensure that this discrimina­ people, if given the chance, are quite capable spite the fact that nearly every State has a tion comes to an end and our society is ac­ of taking their places in the job market. Nu­ statute prohibiting architectural barriers, such cessible to all: that wheelchair-users can merous studies indicate that disabled workers barriers continue to be a serious problem. The travel and enter a building to carry on normal perform as well as or better than their nondis­ extent of inaccessibility was illustrated by a economic and social lives; that crucial daily abled coworkers. In 1983 the U.S. Commis­ 1980 study of State-owned buildings which telephone communications are available to sion on Civil Rights published a report on house services and programs available to the those with a hearing impairment; that jobs are hiring the disabled entitled Accommodating general public. The study found 76 percent of not denied people with blindness and epilepsy the Spectrum of Individuals' Abilities. This the buildings physically inaccessible and unus­ and other disabling conditions; that people report quoted an earlier Government study of able for serving handicapped persons. with mental retardation or other mental dis­ appointments of severely disabled workers to This situation exists even though eliminating abilities are accepted into their communities. Federal jobs over a 10-year period. The study architectural barriers does not have to be ex­ One of the major goals of the ADA bill is to concluded those employees' "work record is pensive. Study after study has shown that eliminate discrimination against the disabled in excellent." The 1987 Harris poll of employers making new buildings accessible to disabled employment. Statistics show that disabled per­ rated the performance of disabled workers as people adds less than one-half of 1 percent to sons experience staggering levels of unem­ "good to excellent." the cost. Many corporations which have made ployment and poverty. The percentage of dis­ Unemployment and underemployment of it their policy to construct all new facilities to abled persons' families earning less than disabled persons cannot be explained by any be barrier-free have found that the costs are $5,000 is almost triple the national average. differential in productivity. Studies dating back virtually absent and cannot even be found in a Some two-thirds of disabled people are unem- to a massive 1948 Department of Labor study normal analysis of building costs. e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. May 9, 1989 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 8713 Another problem area for the disabled is are placed on the operation of paratransit Prohibitions include discrimination in applica­ transportation. This most common service in services. If paratransit was open to all dis­ tion procedures, hiring and discharge, com­ our very mobile society is frequently denied to abled persons, to travel any time of the day or evening to any destination in the transit pensation, advancement, and training. Em­ disabled people. The Congressional Budget service area, its operating costs would sky­ ployers must provide reasonable accommoda­ Office described the extent of the problem rocket. The only cost-effective use of para­ tions for known physical or mental disabilities this way: "More than 1 million physically dis­ transit as a substitute would possiblly be for unless doing so would impose an undue hard­ abled, blind, or deaf persons who live within a a limited number of short trips. For most ship. Qualification standards must be substan­ short walk of transit service cannot physically transit uses, paratransit is simply too expen­ tially related to an applicant's ability to per­ use it * * *. An additional 4 million handi­ sive. For example, in one U.S.