House Resolution 50 - Introduced

PAG LIN

                                    H.R. ________ S.R. ________


  1  1                HOUSE RESOLUTION NO.    
  1  2          BY  HEDDENS, PALMER, D. TAYLOR, KUHN,
  1  3          LENSING, GASKILL, HUNTER, and KRESSIG
  1  4 A Resolution to declare the third week of October,
  1  5    2007, Disability History Week in Iowa.
  1  6    WHEREAS, on July 26, 2006, Americans celebrated the
  1  7 16th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities
  1  8 Act (ADA); and
  1  9    WHEREAS, since the ADA was enacted into law in
  1 10 1990, many changes have been made, creating a more
  1 11 accessible environment for America's approximately
  1 12 51.2 million people with disabilities; and
  1 13    WHEREAS, there are almost 400,000 persons with
  1 14 disabilities living in Iowa, according to the 2000
  1 15 United States Census; and
  1 16    WHEREAS, this number qualifies persons with
  1 17 disabilities as Iowa's largest minority group; and
  1 18    WHEREAS, Americans with disabilities face a 44
  1 19 percent unemployment rate; and
  1 20    WHEREAS, public attitudes continue to stigmatize
  1 21 people with disabilities as being less capable than
  1 22 those without disabilities; and
  1 23    WHEREAS, many people with disabilities feel that
  1 24 stigma and therefore are not comfortable talking about
  1 25 their disability; and
  1 26    WHEREAS, attitudes are formed at a young age; and
  1 27    WHEREAS, the curriculum in many Iowa schools
  1 28 includes information about the civil rights movement
  1 29 and women's rights movement, exposing students to the
  1 30 accomplishments of other minority groups; and
  2  1    WHEREAS, individuals with disabilities have
  2  2 achieved similar victories as a result of the
  2  3 disability rights movement; and
  2  4    WHEREAS, many famous people, including Ludwig Von
  2  5 Beethoven, Alexander Graham Bell, and Franklin Delano
  2  6 Roosevelt have been people with disabilities; and
  2  7    WHEREAS, students are not typically exposed to the
  2  8 disability rights movement; and
  2  9    WHEREAS, many Iowa teachers believe that their
  2 10 students should learn about the history and
  2 11 accomplishments of individuals with disabilities; and
  2 12    WHEREAS, Iowans with disabilities are eager to
  2 13 share their history and accomplishments with young
  2 14 people; and
  2 15    WHEREAS, such education will improve public
  2 16 attitudes toward individuals with disabilities for
  2 17 generations to come; NOW THEREFORE,
  2 18    BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
  2 19 That the third week of October, 2007, be declared
  2 20 Disability History Week in Iowa; and
  2 21    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Iowa Department of
  2 22 Education is requested to encourage schools to conduct
  2 23 disability awareness activities during this week and
  2 24 to work with Iowa disability organizations to develop
  2 25 and disseminate a list of curriculum resources and
  2 26 presenters to assist schools in carrying out these
  2 27 activities.
  2 28 LSB 2850HH 82
  2 29 jr:rj/je/5.1