3/13/90

Capitol Steps Climbed in Protest by Disabled

WASHINGTON (AP) — Using her arms to drag her small body up the Capitol steps, 8-year old Jennifer Keelan joined some 60 disabled Americans Monday in lobbying for legislation to guarantee their civil rights“.

“l‘ll take all night if I have to," Jennlfer said to others crawling along side her. She paused just past the halfway point for a sip of water on a bright and unseasonably hot March day, then resumed pulling herself up the rest of the 83 marble steps.

Keelan, a ‘blond-haired second grader from Denver, was the youngest of about 60 people with disabilities who left their wheelchairs and crawled up the West Front of the Capitol.

They were making a symbolic protest to demand passage of a key bill now pending in the House that would extend civil rights to disabled persons.

She and the others climbed the Capitol steps after about 1,000 people walked or rode in wheelchairs down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House to the Capitol and held a rally at the base of the Capitol steps.

The were demanding passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which passed the Senate last year but has been bogged down in the House this year, despite widespread predictions of its ultimate passage.

The measure would outlaw discrimination based on physical or mental disability in employment, access to buildings, use of the telephone system, use of public and private transportation systems, and in other areas.

Although the hill has the support of the Bush administration and congressional leaders, some supporters have begun questioning the administration‘s commitment in recent weeks. At the White House, Bush press secretary Marlin Fitzwater denied that the support was slipping and said the administration was negotiating over the bill with key members of Congress.

"We do support the legislation," Fitzwater said. "We're very supportive of their rights and their cause. President Bush has spoken out on that in the past."

Rep. Pat Schroeder, D-Colo, a supporter of the bill, told the rally that pressure was building for the bill and that the House Energy and Commerce Committee had scheduled its vote on the measure for Tuesday as a result.

Created on

Friday 12 July 2013

Posted on

Friday 3 July 2015

Tags

ADA, Bush Administration, crawl, House Energy and Commerce Committee, Jennifer Keelan, rally, Rep. Pat Schroeder

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