WEBVTT

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The President:
Well, it is wonderful to see all of you here today,

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to be with all of you.

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I want to make some special
acknowledgements.

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We've got some legislators here
who have been fighting on behalf

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of the disabilities community
for a very long time.

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We're so proud of the
legislation I'm signing today,

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as well as legislation we signed
earlier this week.

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So I want to acknowledge all of
them.

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First of all, responsible in
large part for guiding this

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process through in the Senate -- Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas.

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Representative Ed Markey,
Democrat from Massachusetts.

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We also have here Senator Jay
Rockefeller of West Virginia.

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Senator Barbara Mikulski,
Democrat of Maryland.

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We've got Kent Conrad, as well
as Byron Dorgan --

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the Dakota boys from North
Dakota.

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(laughter)

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We've got Representative Henry
Waxman,

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who's on so many important
pieces of legislation this year,

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and we're grateful to him.

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Mr. Julius Genachowski is here,
who's the chairman of the FCC.

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Where's Julius?

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There he is right there -- a classmate of mine,

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somebody who has just been a great friend for a long time.

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And finally, we've got this guy.

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(laughter)

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Some of you may know him.

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I happened to be listening to
him this morning when I woke up.

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He's what I work out to.

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(laughter)

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He's what I sweet-talk Michelle
to.

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(laughter)

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Mr. Stevie Wonder is in the
house.

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(applause)

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I was doing a little rendition
of some of his music to him and

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he was kind enough not to laugh.

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(laughter)

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Now, earlier this year, we
celebrated the 20th anniversary

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of the Americans with
Disabilities Act right here in

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the White House.

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Many of you were here.

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And it was a moment for every
American to reflect not just on

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one of the most comprehensive
civil rights bills in our

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history, but what that bill
meant to so many people.

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It was a victory won by
countless Americans who refused

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to accept the world as it is,
and against great odds,

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waged quiet struggles and
grassroots crusades until

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finally change was won.

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The story of the disability
rights movement is enriched

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because it's intertwined with
the story of America's progress.

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Americans with disabilities are
Americans first and foremost,

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and like all Americans are
entitled not only to full

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participation in our society,
but also full opportunity in our society.

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So we've come a long way.

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But even today, after all the
progress that we've made,

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too many Americans with
disabilities are still measured

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by what folks think they can't
do,

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instead of what we know they can
do.

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The fight for progress isn't
about sympathy, by the way --

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it's about opportunity.

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And that's why all of us share a
responsibility to keep building

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on the work of those who came
before us --

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one life, one law, one step at a
time.

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So today, we're here to take two
more steps on that journey.

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First of all, on Tuesday, I
signed Rosa's Law.

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This is named for a
nine-year-old girl,

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right there -- Rosa, wave to everybody.

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(applause)

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That's some good waving there,
Rosa.

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(laughter)

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Rosa Marcellino -- it's so inspiring to have her here.

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As one of hundreds of thousands
of Americans with Down Syndrome,

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Rosa worked with her parents and
her siblings to have the words

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"mentally retarded" officially
removed from the health and

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education code in her home state
of Maryland.

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Now, Rosa's Law takes her idea a
step further.

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It amends the language in all
federal health,

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education and labor laws to
remove that same phrase and

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instead refer to Americans
living with an "intellectual disability."

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Now this may seem to some people
like a minor change,

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but I think Rosa's brother Nick
put it best -- where's Nick?

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You right there, Nick?

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You can wave, too.

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Go ahead.

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(laughter)

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But I want everybody to hear
Nick's wisdom here.

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He said, "What you call people
is how you treat them.

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If we change the words, maybe it
will be the start of a new

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attitude towards people with
disabilities."

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That's a lot of wisdom from
Nick.

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(applause)

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Nick and Rosa's parents are all
choking up because they're

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really proud of their kids, and
appropriately so.

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Now, the bill I'm signing today
into law will better ensure full

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participation in our democracy
and our economy for Americans

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with disabilities.

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The 21st Century Communications
and Video Accessibility Act will

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make it easier for people who
are deaf,

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blind or live with a visual
impairment to do what many of us

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take for granted -- from navigating a TV or DVD menu to

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sending an email on a smart phone.

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It sets new standards so that
Americans with disabilities can

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take advantage of the technology
our economy depends on.

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And that's especially important
in today's economy,

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when every worker needs the
necessary skills to compete for

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the jobs of the future.

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So together, these changes are
about guaranteeing equal access,

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equal opportunity, and equal
respect for every American.

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And they build on the progress
that we've already made as an

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administration over the last 20
months.

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Together, we put in place one of
the most important updates to

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the ADA in 20 years by
prohibiting disability-based

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discrimination by government
entities and private businesses

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and by updating accessibility
standards.

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I issued an executive order
focused on establishing the

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federal government as a model
employer of Americans with disabilities.

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We passed the Christopher and
Dana Reeve Paralysis Act --

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the first piece of comprehensive
legislation aimed at addressing

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the challenge faced by Americans
living with paralysis.

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We reauthorized the Children's
Health Insurance Program,

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covering an additional 2.6
million children in need in

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2009, including children with
disabilities.

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And the Affordable Care Act we
passed will give every American

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more control over their health
care --

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and will do more to give
Americans with disabilities

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control over their own lives
than any legislation since the ADA.

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So equal access.

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Equal opportunity.

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The freedom to make of our lives
what we will.

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Living up to these principles is
an obligation we have as

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Americans -- and to one another.

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Because, in the end, each of us
has a role to play in our economy.

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Each of us has something to
contribute to the American story.

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And each of us must do our part
to continue on this never-ending

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journey towards building a more
perfect union.

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So I am so proud of the
legislators here today.

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I want to thank all the
advocates who helped bring this

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legislation about.

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And now I'm very proud to sign
the bill.

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(applause)

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(the bill is signed)

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(cheers and applause)