July 11, 1977 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 22311 NOTICE CONCERNING NOMINATION James J. Gillespie, of Washington, to file with the committee, in writing, on or BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON be U.S. attorney for the eastern district before Monday, July 18, 1977, any rep­ THE JUDICIARY of Washington for the term of 4 years, resentations or objections they may wish Mr. EASTLAND. Mr. President, the vice Dean C. Smith, resigned. to present concerning the above nomina­ following nomination has been referred On behalf of the Committee on the tion with a further statement whether it to and is now pending before the Com­ Judiciary, notice is hereby given to all is their intention to appear at any hear­ mittee on the Judiciary: persons interested in this nomination to ing which may be scheduled. EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS MRS. JEANETTE WILLIAMS, WIFE by the drumbeat of a. new civil rights move­ make programing which is fully accessible ment of disabled people who have come to to deaf persons available. OF SENATOR WILLIAMS, GIVES Washington and to the State capitols to peti­ The responses of commercial and public EXCELLENT COMMENCEMENT AD­ tion the government for their long-overdue television stations ha.s been encouraging in DRESS basic rights. putting on interpreted news or captioned It ha.s brought people forward to speak news. out a.nd educate society a.s to what must be And in 1976, for the first time in history, HON. JENNINGS RANDOLPH done. the Presidential debates were given this type OF WEST VIRGINIA And today, the civil rights of those who of treatment. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES live with disabilities-with deafness, with I do not think our advances will stop here. blindness, and with other physical disa.b111- Additional legislation has already been in­ Monday, July 11, 1977 ties-ha.ve been recognized and will be pro­ troduced to meet tihe needs of the deaf-leg­ tected. islation to lower the cost of long-distance Mr. RANDOLPH. Mr. President, re­ phone calls by TTY-and to equip all Fed­ cently the able chairman of the Senate We have accomplished much at the Federal level. eral agencies and Congressional offices with Committee on Human Resources, Sena­ In 1971 Senator Williams created the Sub­ TTY's so that the deaf will have quick access tor HARRISON WILLIAMS, planned to de­ committee on the Handicapped: the first one to their elected officials. liver the commencement address at the in the Senate history to focus attention Recogru.tion is coming in other ways as Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf well. solely on the legislative needs of the handi­ Just last Sunday night, the National Thea­ in West Trenton, N.Y., on June 10. capped. Sena.tor Willia.ms is proud of his tre of the Deaf won a. National TONY a.ward Senator WILLIAMS' presence was re­ authorship of legislation which wa.s enacted for dra.ma.---a.n important recognition of that quired here during our deliberation of the into law in 1973 prohibiting discrimination troup's ta.lent a.nd also of its artistic value. Clean Air Act. The Senator's gracious against people on the be.sis of their handi­ La.st year's Academy Awa.rd to Louise cap. wife, Jeanette, came to the rescue and These provisions of the Rehabilitation Act Fletcher for her magnificent performance in delivered the speech. Mrs. Williams also of 1973 ba.n discrimination in all programs "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", which delivered a message in sign language wa.s accepted in sign language for her deaf receiving Federal financial assistance. pa.rents was incredibly important for our from Senator WILLIAMS in opening and And if you think a.bout it, that includes National awareness. closing remarks. most health, housing, education, transporta­ A National Center for Law and the Deaf I ask unanimous consent that the ad­ tion, and other social service and Jobs pro­ has been established to work on the unique dress, as delivered by Mrs. Williams, be grams. legal problems which deaf people face. printed in the RECORD. Federal contractors are required to ta.ke Based on the Ga.lla.udet College campus, affirmative action to employ and promote per­ this Center has already represented the in­ There being no objection, the address sons with disabilities. was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, terests of the deaf in two major cases--pro­ And discrimination is prohibited in Fed­ tecting the confidentiality of an interpretor as follows: · eral employment, and ea.ch Federal agency in a criminal action and in a pending case REMARKS BY THE HONORABLE HARRISON A. must ha.ve a.n affirmative action pla.n to pro­ to vitiate a. prohibition of the U.S. Depart­ WD..LIAMS, JR., DELIVERED BY JEANETTE Wn.­ mote employment for persons with disabili­ ment of Transportation against deaf persons LIAMS AT THE MARIE H. KATZENBACH SCHOOL ties. driving trucks in interstate commerce. FOR THE DEAF, WEST TRENTON, N.J., FRIDAY, These programs reaffirm wha.t ma.ny of us All of tihese events mark the emerging rec­ JUNE 10, 1977 ha.ve been saying for a long time: it is not ognition of deafness and other physical dif­ Sena.tor Willia.ms regrets so much tha.t the disability tha.t counts, but the abilities ferences throughout our communities and votes on the Clean Air Bill in the Sena. te of the person. the recognition of the unique abilities and keeps him from being with you. Disability should ha.ve no bee.ring on Job potentials inherent in this segment of our It is my plea.sure to Join you this afternoon performance and potential. population. to salute the gra.dua.ting class of 1977 a.nd to They will also assure that persons with They mark the beginning of a. full under­ she.re with you Sena.tor Willia.ms' thoughts disabilities will not be treated differently standing of what it means to be deaf or dis­ a.bout the future. tha.n other persons-in fringe benefits, in abled in the United States today. The Sena.tor's favorite quote from Walden's insurance coverage, and in wages and bene­ This recognition comes none too soon­ Thoreau is: fits. from your perspective and from mine. "If a. ma.n does not keep pa.ce with his The Congress ha.s also enacted legislation Over the yea.rs as Vietnam and Watergate companions, perhaps it is because he hears which reinforces the right of ea.ch child to froze our consciousness, it was difficult for a. different drummer. an education based on his needs. us to focus on or take up healthy new a.p­ "Let me step to the music which he hears, This la.w-the Education for All Handi­ proadhes for dealing with the needs of our however measured or fa.r a.way." capped Children Act which Sena.tor Willia.ms people. For ma.ny of the pa.st 10 yea.rs, this Nation authored-requires tha.t ea.ch State makes Sena.tor Williams as Chairman of the Sen­ ha.s virtually ignored those who listen to the a.va.ila.ble the teachers, interpreters, and fi­ ate Human Resources Committee, watched as sound of different drummers. nancial assistance necessary to assure every our programs to put a.n end to poverty, to During the long period of unrest a.nd pa.in deaf child and every other child with a. dis­ educate our children, to provide decent of the Vietnam wa.r, those who sounded the ability a.n appropriate and adequate educa­ health ca.re and adequate support for our call age.inst our military involvement were tion. workers were diverted and undercut. for a. long time ignored a.nd later, harshly Fight as we did to keep these programs criticized for their dissenting views. On another front, through pressure from going-and they a.re still opera.ting-we ac­ In the period lea.ding up to the Wa.terga.te the deaf community, their friends and the complished little more than survival. investigation a. similar attitude prevailed. Congress, the Federal Communications Com­ As a result, the very same National prob­ And, too ma.ny of us ha. ve chosen to ignore mission has ordered a.11 TV broadcasters to lems we faced yea.rs a.go a.re no closer to solu­ the lifestyles a.nd needs of those a.round us make emergency broadcasting available both tion now than they were then. who ha.ve different abilities. orally and visually so that the deaf and hear­ We see a. Nation in whioh 7 million work­ We have, a.s a. Nation, a.11 too often ignored ing impaired community wm have access to ers-325,000 of them in New Jersey-are with­ the uniqueness a.nd great potential of per­ vita.I information. out jobs while another 3 million more work sons with various physical differences. And finally, the FCC was persuaded to re­ only pa.rt-time. You might sa.y tha.t their questions a.nd serve line 21 on the TV screen for caption­ We ha.ve come through a winter in which wishes ha.ve fa.Hen upon our "dea.f" ears. ing of television so that the communica­ a record cold ca.used tremendous hardships But times a.re changing. tions and entertainment media. will be a.va.11- because of energy shortages, and yet, we still The la.st severe.I yea.rs ha.ve brought a.n in­ a.ble to deaf persons.