July 24, 2009 Today we celebrate the 19th anniversary of the
enactment of the historic Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Signed into law on July 26, 1990, this landmark legislation
established a clear mandate against discrimination on the basis
of disability so that people with disabilities would have an
equal opportunity to achieve the American Dream. Our Nation is
once again poised to make history for people with disabilities.
I am proud to announce that the United States will sign the
United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in
New York on December 13, 2006. The Convention is the first new
human rights convention of the 21st century adopted by the
United Nations, and it represents a paradigm shift in protecting
the human rights of 650 million people with disabilities
worldwide. We proudly join the international community in
further advancing the rights of people with disabilities. As we
reflect upon the past and look toward a