,,iii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session 
,s4 ,,con4 ,,res4 #bi  ,,in ,,the       
,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states   
,february #ag1 #bjbb,mr4 ,blumenthal    
7for himself1 ,mr4 ,brown1 ,ms4         
,cantwell1 ,mr4 ,casey1 ,ms4 ,hassan1   
,mr4 ,merkley1 ,mr4 ,van ,hollen1 ,ms4  
,duckworth1 and ,mrs4 ,murray7 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  ,whereas the ,first 
,amendment to the ,constitution prevents
 ,congress from making any law          
respecting an establishment of religion1
 prohibiting the free exercise of       
religion1 or abridging the freedom of   
speech1 the freedom of the press1 the   
right to peaceably assemble1 or to      
petition for a governmental redress of  

grievances1 and was adopted on ,december
 #ae1 #agia1 as #a of the #aj amendments
 that constitute the ,bill of ,rights2  
,whereas the ,bill of ,rights1          
specifically the ,first ,amendment to   
the ,constitution1 calls for the right  
of all persons to peaceably assemble1   
and to this end1 all persons1 regardless
 of their physical ability1 shall be    
offered equal opportunity to access all 
federally funded1 in whole or part1     
amenities2 ,whereas1 in the #cb years   
since the signing of the ,americans with
 ,disabilities ,act of #aiij 7#db       
,u4,s4,c4 #abaja et seq47 7in this      
preamble referred to as the ,,ada71     
there have been unprecedented advances  
in all forms of technology2 ,whereas1 in
 #bjah1 the ,centers for ,disease       
,control and ,prevention found that #a  
in #d adults1 or #fa1jjj1jjj people1    
have a disability2 ,whereas disability  
is a universal concern1 as an aging     
population increases the incidence of   
frailty and disability2 ,whereas1 as    

significant advances in medical         
treatment result in increased survival  
rates1 the incidence of disability      
increases2 ,whereas1 in #bjbj1 the      
,bureau of ,labor ,statistics found that
 #d1gjj1jjj veterans received           
service-related disability benefits2    
,whereas1 in #bjai1 the percentage of   
working-age people in the ,united       
,states who reported having a work      
limitation due to a disability was #aj4a
 percent2 ,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 7commonly
 known 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 disabilities2 
,whereas the ,united ,states ,access    
,board 7in this preamble referred to as 

the ,board7 is in the process of        
developing new guidelines for public    
rights-of-way that will address various 
issues1 including access for blind      
pedestrians at street crossings1        
wheelchair access to on-street parking1 
and various constraints posed by space  
limitations1 roadway design practices1  
slope1 and terrain2 ,whereas the        
,board's new guidelines1 when finalized1
 will cover pedestrian access to        
sidewalks and streets1 including        
crosswalks1 curb ramps1 street          
furnishings1 pedestrian signals1        
parking1 and other components of public 
rights-of-way2 ,whereas the ,board's aim
 in developing these guidelines is to   
ensure that access for persons with     
disabilities is provided wherever a     
pedestrian way is newly built or        
altered1 and that the same degree of    
convenience1 connection1 and safety     
afforded the public generally is        
available to pedestrians with           
disabilities2 ,whereas once these       

guidelines are adopted by the           
,department of ,justice1 they will      
become enforceable standards under title
 ,,ii of the ,,ada2 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 that people with disabilities
 in the ,united ,states experience      
barriers to access on a daily basis2    
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 seq47 7commonly
 known as the ,architectural ,barriers  
,act of #aifh71 and the ,americans with 
,disabilities ,act of #aiij 7#db        
,u4,s4,c4 #abaja et seq471 and          

encourages full compliance with such    
,acts2 and  7#c7 pledges to make        
universal and inclusive design a guiding
 principle for all infrastructure bills 
and projects and will continue working  
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