Text Transcript of the Americans with Disabilities Signing Video

[Fred Fay, Ph.D. speaking ] On the day Bush signed the ADA, we convinced him that we should make it a great big celebration


To show somebody the people directly affected by the passage of the ADA. 


[Dick Thornburgh, US Attorney General from 1988-1991] July 26, 1990, A glorious day, clear blue sky


The sun was out. There were 3 or 4 thousand people.

Many with disabilities and their families on the South Lawn of the White House


And the president was on a platform with leaders of the disability community to sign the bill into law.


[Bob Dole, US Senator (R) Kansas from 1969-1996] I don't know how you describe the signing ceremony, you had people everywhere.


They were on gurneys, white canes, wheelchairs, walkers and seeing eye dogs


Any device that helps people get around was represented that day.


We covered the White House Lawn for sure!

[Tom Harken, former US Senator (D) Iowa] The most people ever gathered for a White House signing was July 26, 1990.


Never been that many people there for the signing of a bill before, ever in the history of this country.


[I. King Jordan, President of Gallaudet University from 1988-2006] I have the pleasure and the real privilege to rise to the ADA signing ceremony with John McCain (former US Senator (R) Arizona)


So, we drove right into the White House and then we walked outside and became part of the masses.


The South Lawn was packed with people.


All of them there had worked and worked and worked to see the law passed. 


So it was a shining day and a shining moment.


History and the weather just cooperated in a way you don't see very often.


[Pat Wright DREDF The Disabilities Rights and Education Fund] I sat with Senator (Ted) Kennedy in the 89th row back


You know all the pomp and circumstance again and we were kibbutzing with each other and kind of looking over the crowd


And Kennedy leaned over to me and he said, Ahh Pat, I said yes Senator, Ahh I got a little problem here...


What's that Senator.. he goes, Ahhh  what happens if he reads the bill before he signs it?


[Pat Wright laughing about Senator Kennedy's joking]


I said, don't worry. I mean the Senator knew that nobody really understood the impact of what this piece of legislation was gonna do.


[President Bush] I now lift my pen to sign this Americans with Disabilities Act.


[Dick Thornburgh] And then the president ended his brief remarks with the clarion call ...


Let the shameful walls of exclusion finally come tumbling down.


That sent a tremor through the entire crowd. [Loud Applause]


[David Capozzi Executive Director for US Access Board] The best moment was President Bush was there, he's signing the ADA, Evan Kemp was on one side, Sandy Parrino was on the other side and


There was a priest, Reverend Wilke and he had no arms. So, the President signed the legislation, and then he handed the pen to Evan and then to Sandy


And then President Bush handed the pen to Reverent Wilke with no arms. So he picks up his foot and grabs it with his toes.


But like the perfect moment right there.


There was a lot of pent up emotion in anticipation in that crowd.


When the President finally put his signature on the bill, a great roar of approval went up.


It was extraordinarily special. Then the rest of the day was given over to celebration.


A lot of folks who had put in years and decades trying to reach the point that was achieved that day let their hair down and had a lot of fun.


[Judi Chamberlin: Mental Patients Liberation Front] Just this feeling of "We did it." Here we were having been told for so long how powerless we were


And we were with the President of the United States signing this document that was our Emancipation Proclamation.


It was just a fantastic feeling! It was one of those electric moments in time.


It was like we were transported to another place. We were 20 feet off the ground 3000 people were 20 feet off the ground.


It was like a tremendous party. A very controlled, I mean love, respect, joy, accomplishment, satisfaction


Our time had come, we finally, we finally were recognized as citizens of the world.


I just thought of how much my brother had been discriminated against all his life because of his disability.


When you see something like this and you see the President signing it that goes through your head and you think about this. And you think well, maybe this isn't in time to help my brother

But you think about how many other people won't have to go through that, you know because of this. It's something that's going to unleash a lot of people with disabilities.


To do things that they never thought they could do before.


I have the sense that the moment was one I would never forget.


There was a ceremony and the ceremony was very important


But the moment was much more than that. The moment was a recognition of the rights and abilities of people with disabilities


The recognition of respect for people with disabilities, a recognition of the end of discrimination against people with disabilities 


And that the spirit of that, the feeling of the whole crowd was that (in American Sign Language there's a sign for that ) and the sign is, it's called PAH


PAH that how you make a sound when you sign it PAH and that was a PAH day. That was the day that you guys saw us as your peers.

And not as someone who needed your help.

End Transcript