,,iii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,con4 ,,res4 #bf  ,,in ,,the       
,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states   
,november #ba1 #bjac,mr4 ,blumenthal    
7for himself and ,mr4 ,murphy7 submitted
 the following concurrent resolution2   
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and        
,pensions  ,,concurrent ,,resolution    
,recognizing the need to improve        
physical access to many federally funded
 facilities for all people of the       
,united ,states1 particularly people    
with disabilities4  ,whereas1 in #bjab1 
#ab percent of the civilian population  
in the ,united ,states reported having a
 disability2 ,whereas1 in #bjab1 #af    
percent of veterans1 amounting to more  
than #c1ejj1jjj people1 received        
service-related disability benefits2    
,whereas1 in #bjaa1 the percentage of   
working-age people in the ,united       
,states who reported having a work      
limitation due to a disability was #g   
percent1 which is a #bj-year high2      

,whereas the ,act entitled ,an ,act to  
insure that certain buildings financed  
with ,federal funds are so designed and 
constructed as to be accessible to the  
physically handicapped1 approved ,august
 #ab1 #aifh 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #daea et     
seq47 7referred to in this preamble as  
the ,architectural ,barriers ,act of    
#aifh71 was enacted to ensure that      
certain federally funded facilities are 
designed and constructed to be          
accessible to people with disabilities  
and requires that physically handicapped
 people have ready access to1 and use   
of1 post offices and other ,federal     
facilities2 ,whereas automatic doors1   
though not mandated by either the       
,architectural ,barriers ,act of #aifh  
or the ,americans with ,disabilities    
,act of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #abaja et  
seq471 provide a greater degree of      
self-sufficiency and dignity for people 
with disabilities and the elderly1 who  
may have limited strength to open a     
manually operated door2 ,whereas a      

report commissioned by the              
,architectural and ,transportation      
,barriers ,compliance ,board 7referred  
to in this preamble as the ,access      
,board71 an independent ,federal agency 
created to ensure access to federally   
funded facilities for people with       
disabilities1 recommends that all new   
buildings for use by the public should  
have at least one automated door at an  
accessible entrance1 except for small   
buildings where adding such doors may be
 a financial hardship for the owners of 
the buildings2 ,whereas ,states and     
municipalities have begun to recognize  
the importance of automatic doors in    
improving accessibility2 ,whereas the   
laws of the ,state of ,connecticut      
require automatic doors in certain      
shopping malls and retail businesses1   
the laws of the ,state of ,delaware     
require automatic doors or calling      
devices for newly constructed places of 
accommodation1 and the laws of the      
,district of ,columbia have a similar   

requirement2 ,whereas the ,facilities   
,standards for the ,public ,buildings   
,service1 published by the ,general     
,services ,administration1 requires     
automation of at least one exterior door
 for all newly constructed or renovated 
facilities managed by the ,general      
,services ,administration1 including    
post offices2 ,whereas from #bjjf to    
#bjaa1 #ga percent of the complaints    
received by the ,access ,board regarding
 the ,architectural ,barriers ,act of   
#aifh concerned a post office or other  
facility of the ,united ,states ,postal 
,service2 ,whereas the ,united ,states  
,postal ,service employs approximately  
#ebb1jjj people1 making it the          
second-largest civilian employer in the 
,united ,states2 ,whereas approximately 
#c1bjj1jjj people visit #a of the       
#ca1heg post offices in the ,united     
,states each day2 and ,whereas the      
,united ,states was founded on          
principles of equality and freedom1 and 
these principles require that all       

people1 including people with           
disabilities1 are able to engage as     
equal members of society3 ,now1         
therefore1 be it ,that ,congress-- 7#a7 
recognizes the immense hardships that   
people with disabilities in the ,united 
,states must overcome every day2  7#b7  
reaffirms its support of the ,act       
entitled ,an ,act to insure that certain
 buildings financed with ,federal funds 
are so designed and constructed as to be
 accessible to the physically           
handicapped1 approved ,august #ab1 #aifh
 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #daea et seq471 commonly
 known as the ,architectural ,barriers  
,act of #aifh1 and the ,americans with  
,disabilities ,act of #aiij 7#db        
,u4,s4,c4 #abaja et seq471 and          
encourages full compliance with such    
,acts2  7#c7 recommends that the ,united
 ,states ,postal ,service and ,federal  
agencies install power-assisted doors at
 post offices and other federally funded
 facilities1 respectively1 to ensure    
equal access for all people of the      

,united ,states2 and  7#d7 pledges to   
continue to work to identify and remove 
the barriers that prevent all people of 
the ,united ,states from having equal   
access to the services provided by the  
,federal ,government4