As LIFTT marked the 33rd Anniversary of the passage and signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act last week we were pleased to receive messages of greeting and support from all three members of our congressional delegation. Thanks to Senator Jon Tester, Senator Steve Daines, and Congressman Matt Rosendale for sending their greetings and thank you to their staff members Kailyn Roberts (Tester, Billings), Tory Kolkhorst (Daines, Billings), Charlene Redding (Daines, Glendive) and Emily Schneller (Rosendale, Billings) for taking the time to visit our ADA celebrations in person and deliver these words.
Senator Jon Tester:
Click here to download Sen. Tester’s message (Adobe PDF)
“Hello and thank you for inviting me to the 33rd anniversary celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act. While I’m sorry I can’t be with you in person, I’m grateful for the opportunity to share a few words.
I want to start by thanking LIFTT executive director Carlos Ramalho and all the folks here and in our community who work hard to support Montanans living with disabilities.
The passage of the ADA was a historic milestone for this country when it codified rights for those living with disabilities. These rights are fundamental, but it is the ADA that made them the law of the land. And it is thanks to the hard work of folks like you that these rights aren’t just on paper, but they’re applied all across Big Sky Country.
I’,m proud to have worked with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to write and pass bipartisan policy that continues to support disabled folks in Montana. Our “Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act” provided significant funding for ADA improvements, including securing critical funding for upgrades at Yellowstone Airport and Missoula Airport, where they’re already getting started on constructing ADA-compliant terminals.
We scored another win last year when the passage of the PACT Act ensured that disabled veterans who were exposed to toxic chemicals during combat will finally get the care and benefits they deserve.
And you folks know better than anyone that the work isn’t over. It’s critical that we keep up the fight to build a more inclusive workforce, community, and society. And no disability should keep Montanans from being afforded the resources and care needed to thrive right here at home. You have my word that I will continue to fight hard to ensure the Treasure State feels like home for every Montana resident.
Keep up the good work, and know that my door is always open.
Jon Tester
United States Senator for Montana”
Senator Steve Daines:
Click here to download Sen. Daines’s message (Adobe PDF)
Dear Friends,
Thank you for the opportunity to share a few words with you all as we celebrate the 33rd anniversary of the world’s first comprehensive assertion of equality for people of all abilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a monumental civil rights law that affirms all men are created equal in the image of God, regardless of their abilities. I want to say a special thanks to everyone at Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow for sponsoring today’s event in celebration and promotion of this historic legislation.
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness remain inalienable rights for all Americans in small towns, quiet neighborhoods, bustling cities, Indian reservations, farms, ranches and everywhere in between. The right to liberty has not always been granted in its entirety to the millions of Americans living with a disability. That is why the passage of the ADA is invaluable in our pursuit of a more perfect nation.
Today, 61 million Americans experience life with a disability – this equates to one in every four adults in the United States. The Americans with Disabilities Act ensures protections and basic civil rights are guaranteed for every man, woman, boy, and girl across the country. May we continue to celebrate and bring awareness to the significance of the ADA and remember that there is dignity and value in every human life. As President George H. W. Bush said as he signed this historic act into law on that July day in 1990, “Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down.”
It is an honor to serve as your United States Senator, and if I can ever be of assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out. May God bless you all.
Sincerely,
Steve Daines
United States Senator for Montana”
Congressman Matt Rosendale
Click here to download Rep. Rosendale’s message (Adobe PDF)
“Dear Friends,
Thank you for inviting me to join you today for the celebration of the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Today is an exciting day as we celebrate not only the anniversary of the ADA but the wonderful accomplishments of Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow. Billings and eastern Montana have certainly benefitted from the care and guidance they have provided to the community of folks with disabilities.
So many of our friends and family with disabilities, not to mention our courageous wounded veterans, have benefitted from the protections of the ADA, and I extend my thanks to LIFTT for providing a welcoming community for them to access the resources they need to live truly fulfilling lives.
I commend the perseverance of those with disabilities and thank them for their many contributions to our great state. The ADA has truly improved the lives of persons with disabilities by allowing them to fully participate in our competitive workforce, collaborate with fellow employees, receive the same benefits, and advance to new positions. Our country is home to so many unique talents, and it is critical that we maintain the hardworking, innovative, and diverse workforce that we have here in America.
Again, I’d like to thank you all for the work you are doing, and if I can ever be of assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or my office.
Sincerely,
Matthew Rosendale
Member of Congress, Montana 2nd Congressional District”
About Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT): LIFTT is a Montana 501(c)3 corporation organized as a Center for Independent Living (CIL). With team members based in Billings and Glendive, LIFTT provides people with disabilities with programs and services that help empower them to break down the physical, bureaucratic, and cultural barriers that prevent them from being fully independent participants in their lives and communities throughout 18 counties in southeastern and south central Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Stillwater, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app on Apple or Google Play.
You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.