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TO: Aurora City Council
FROM: Mayor Thomas J. Weisner
DATE: August 5, 2015
SUBJECT:
A Resolution Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
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A Resolution Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, nearly 1 in 5 residents of the United States have a disability; and
WHEREAS, the population of people with disabilities is increasing among all age groups; and
WHEREAS, people with disabilities are more likely to be disadvantaged socially, vocationally, economically, and educationally; and
WHEREAS, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law on July 26, 1990 by President George H. W. Bush; and
WHEREAS, it is appropriate to pause and celebrate/recognize the Americans with Disabilities Act as a wide ranging and landmark piece of civil rights legislation that prohibits discrimination based on disability; and
WHEREAS, in enacting the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Congress recognized that persons with disabilities have a history of being subjected to unequal treatment, and that the nation’s goals regarding individuals with disabilities are to assure equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency; and
WHERAS, the ADA has expanded opportunities for Americans with disabilities by reducing barriers and changing perceptions, and increasing full inclusion in community life; and
WHEREAS, despite the great strides that people with disabilities have made as a result of the Americans with Disabilities Act, barriers remain.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, that the most effective way in which to celebrate this milestone 25-year anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act is to reaffirm our opposition to discrimination based on disability and to strive to promote full implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we encourage the reduction of stigma and discrimination against people with disabilities through education and training and that the City of Aurora supports the pursuit of programs to ensure that the spirit and founding provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act are maintained, implemented, and enforced and we acknowledge that there is no higher calling than to recognize the dignity and worth of all people.