SRES338-119

That the Senate— recognizes the importance of independent living, equal opportunity, full participation, and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities made possible by the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.); encourages the people of the United States to celebrate the advancement of inclusion and equality of opportunity made possible by the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; pledges to continue to work on a bipartisan basis to identify and address the remaining barriers that undermine the national goals of equality of opportunity, independent living, economic self-sufficiency, and full participation for individuals with disabilities, including by focusing on individuals with disabilities who remain segregated in institutions; pledges to work with States to improve funding for and access to home and community-based services for individuals with disabilities, with a focus on increasing access to employment; admonishes against recent cuts, and any future cuts, to the Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.), including the establishment of burdensome work-reporting requirements and other barriers, which puts the health of individuals with disabilities at risk and hinders the progress made since the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; calls on the Department of Labor to develop policies and practices, and to provide technical assistance, to increase the number and quality of competitive integrated employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities that enable such individuals to become economically self-sufficient; calls on the Federal Communications Commission to provide information, resources, and technical assistance to enable individuals with disabilities to have full and equitable access to communications and telecommunications services and technologies; calls on the Department of Health and Human Services to fully staff and support the Administration for Community Living and to champion independent living by providing information, resources, and technical assistance related to home- and community-based services; calls on the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide accessible and inclusive homes and communities that increase the options available for accessible, inclusive, and equitable housing for individuals with disabilities; calls on the Department of Transportation to create accessible transit and airports and increase the hiring, promotion, and retention of individuals with disabilities in the transportation workforce; and calls on the Federal Emergency Management Agency to continue to implement a whole community approach and to increase inclusivity and accessibility in emergency preparedness.