President Obama Signs 21st Century Communications & Video Accessibility Act

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

to be with all of you.

I want to make some special
acknowledgements.

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

of the disabilities community
for a very long time.

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

as well as legislation we signed
earlier this week.

So I want to acknowledge all of
them.

First of all, responsible in
large part for guiding this

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

Representative Ed Markey,
Democrat from Massachusetts.

We also have here Senator Jay
Rockefeller of West Virginia.

Senator Barbara Mikulski,
Democrat of Maryland.

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

the Dakota boys from North
Dakota.

(laughter)

We've got Representative Henry
Waxman,

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

and we're grateful to him.

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

Where's Julius?

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

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

And finally, we've got this guy.

(laughter)

Some of you may know him.

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

He's what I work out to.

(laughter)

He's what I sweet-talk Michelle
to.

(laughter)

Mr. Stevie Wonder is in the
house.

(applause)

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

he was kind enough not to laugh.

(laughter)

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

of the Americans with
Disabilities Act right here in

the White House.

Many of you were here.

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

one of the most comprehensive
civil rights bills in our

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

It was a victory won by
countless Americans who refused

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

waged quiet struggles and
grassroots crusades until

finally change was won.

The story of the disability
rights movement is enriched

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

Americans with disabilities are
Americans first and foremost,

and like all Americans are
entitled not only to full

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

So we've come a long way.

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

too many Americans with
disabilities are still measured

by what folks think they can't
do,

instead of what we know they can
do.

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

it's about opportunity.

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

on the work of those who came
before us --

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

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

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

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

right there -- Rosa, wave to everybody.

(applause)

That's some good waving there,
Rosa.

(laughter)

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

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

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

"mentally retarded" officially
removed from the health and

education code in her home state
of Maryland.

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

It amends the language in all
federal health,

education and labor laws to
remove that same phrase and

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

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

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

You right there, Nick?

You can wave, too.

Go ahead.

(laughter)

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

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

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

attitude towards people with
disabilities."

That's a lot of wisdom from
Nick.

(applause)

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

really proud of their kids, and
appropriately so.

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

participation in our democracy
and our economy for Americans

with disabilities.

The 21st Century Communications
and Video Accessibility Act will

make it easier for people who
are deaf,

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

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

sending an email on a smart phone.

It sets new standards so that
Americans with disabilities can

take advantage of the technology
our economy depends on.

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

when every worker needs the
necessary skills to compete for

the jobs of the future.

So together, these changes are
about guaranteeing equal access,

equal opportunity, and equal
respect for every American.

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

administration over the last 20
months.

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

the ADA in 20 years by
prohibiting disability-based

discrimination by government
entities and private businesses

and by updating accessibility
standards.

I issued an executive order
focused on establishing the

federal government as a model
employer of Americans with disabilities.

We passed the Christopher and
Dana Reeve Paralysis Act --

the first piece of comprehensive
legislation aimed at addressing

the challenge faced by Americans
living with paralysis.

We reauthorized the Children's
Health Insurance Program,

covering an additional 2.6
million children in need in

2009, including children with
disabilities.

And the Affordable Care Act we
passed will give every American

more control over their health
care --

and will do more to give
Americans with disabilities

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

So equal access.

Equal opportunity.

The freedom to make of our lives
what we will.

Living up to these principles is
an obligation we have as

Americans -- and to one another.

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

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

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

journey towards building a more
perfect union.

So I am so proud of the
legislators here today.

I want to thank all the
advocates who helped bring this

legislation about.

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

(applause)

(the bill is signed)

(cheers and applause)