A JOINT RESOLUTION honoring NORTH CAROLINIANS WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR ADVOCATES AND HONORING THE TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSAGE OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT.
Whereas, 2010 marks the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, landmark legislation to protect the civil rights of individuals with disabilities and ensure that more than 54 million Americans receive the same basic freedoms – independence, equal access, freedom of choice and inclusion – afforded to every citizen in our country; and
Whereas, the purpose of the Americans with Disabilities Act was to:
(1)	Provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities.
(2)	Provide clear, strong, consistent, enforceable standards addressing discrimination against individuals with disabilities.
(3)	Ensure that the federal government plays a central role in enforcing the standards established in the act on behalf of individuals with disabilities.
(4)	Invoke the sweep of congressional authority, including the power to enforce the 14th amendment to the Constitution and to regulate commerce, in order to address the major areas of discrimination faced day‑to‑day by people with disabilities; and
Whereas, Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act with overwhelming bipartisan majorities, and President George H. W. Bush signed the bill into law on July 26, 1990; and
Whereas, the Americans with Disabilities Act established the world's first comprehensive prohibition of discrimination on the basis of disability in the areas of employment, public accommodations, public services, transportation, and telecommunications; and
Whereas, more than 1.822 million people with disabilities live in North Carolina, contributing to the State's economy and to the civic life in their communities; and
Whereas, many of the State's citizens have been recognized as advocates for individuals with disabilities, including Lockhart Follin‑Mace, who served as the first director of the North Carolina Governor's Advocacy Council for Persons with Disabilities; Ron Mace, who served as founder and program director of The Center for Universal Design; and Deborah Greenblatt, who served as Executive Director of Carolina Legal Assistance, a legal services program devoted to enforcing the rights of children and adults with mental disabilities; and
Whereas, Kenneth D. Franklin served as Director of the North Carolina Office on the Americans with Disabilities Act; Manuel Houston Crockett served as the principal of the former Garner Road School for the Blind and the Deaf; and Grady Galloway chaired the Architectural Barriers Committee of the National Vocational Rehabilitation Association; and
Whereas, Thomas McCue "Mac" Brownlee, Ph.D., served on the Advocacy Council for Persons with Disabilities (now Disability Rights North Carolina); Dr. Gary Shaffer served as a professor of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was nationally known as an expert on children's issues; and Victor Hall was a pioneer of the self‑advocacy movement; and
Whereas, the ADA has expanded opportunities for Americans with disabilities by reducing barriers and changing perceptions, increasing full participation in community life, although the full promise of the ADA will only be reached if public entities remain committed in their efforts to fully implement the ADA; Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:
SECTION 1.  The General Assembly celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and reaffirms its commitment to work toward full ADA compliance in the State of North Carolina.
SECTION 2.  The General Assembly honors the memory of Lockhart Follin‑Mace, Ron Mace, Deborah Greenblatt, Kenneth D. Franklin, Manuel Huston Crockett, Grady Galloway, Thomas McCue "Mac" Brownlee, Dr. Gary Shaffer, and Victor Hall for their many contributions in expanding the rights, abilities, and opportunities of individuals with disabilities.
SECTION 3.  The Secretary of State shall transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the families of the individuals mentioned in this resolution.
SECTION 4.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.