STATEMENT OF SENATOR BOB DOLE AMENDMENTS TO THE NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE ACT (Page 1) MR. PRESIDENT, ALTHOUGH HAVE SERIOUS RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE COST AND APPROPRIATENESS OF THIS LEGISLATION, I BELIEVE THAT IF SUCH LEGISLATION DOES PASS THIS BODY, IT MUST ENSURE THAT INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES ARE INVOLVED IN NATIONAL SERVICE PROGRAMS AS VOLUNTEERS, NOT JUST AS RECIPIENTS. (Page 2) THE TALENTS AND SKILLS OF OUR 43 MILLION AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY UNDERUTILIZED FOR MUCH TOO LONG. AT A TIME WHEN THE PRESIDENT HAS ENDORSED HISTORIC CIVIL RIGHTS LEGISLATION FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, WE MUST GUARANTEE THAT THESE CITIZENS ARE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE FULLY IN ANY NATIONAL SERVICE INITIATIVE. (Page 3) ALTHOUGH RECIPIENTS OF FEDERAL ASSISTANCE UNDER THIS LEGISLATION ARE COVERED BY THE REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973, AND IT IS REFERENCED IN THIS LEGISLATION, I BELIEVE WE COULD STRENGTHEN THE BILL BY SPELLING IT OUT. DOING SO WILL IMPROVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND HELP BREAK THE CYCLE OF SEPARATENESS THAT PLAGUES THIS MINORITY. (Page 4) MY AMENDMENTS ARE SIMPLE. THE BILL NOW DEFINES 'ADULT VOLUNTEER' AS A PERSON BEYOND THE AGE OF COMPULSORY SCHOOLING, INCLUDING AN OLDER AMERICAN, AN EMPLOYEE OF A PRIVATE BUSINESS, AN EMPLOYEE OF A PUBLIC OR NONPROFIT AGENCY, OR ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL WORKING WITHOUT FINANCIAL REMUNERATION IN AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION (Page 5) TO ASSIST STUDENTS, OR OUT OF SCHOOL YOUTH. THE BILL ALSO SPECIFIES THAT, IN PROVIDING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO ADULT VOLUNTEER AND PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS, PRIORITY SHALL BE GIVEN TO PROGRAMS THAT INVOLVE INDIVIDUALS OF DIFFERENT AGES, RACES, SEXES, ETHNIC GROUPS, AND ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS. (Page 6) MY PROPOSAL WOULD AMEND THIS LANGUAGE TO INCLUDE 'A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY' UNDER THE DEFINITION OF AN ADULT VOLUNTEER AND ADD 'INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES' TO THE LIST DELINEATING PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS. MY PROPOSAL ALSO MODIFIES THAT PORTION OF THE BILL WHICH SUGGESTS THE TYPES OF NATIONAL SERVICE THAT MAY BE MADE AVAILABLE UNDER NATIONAL (Page 7) SERVICE DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS. THE BILL NOW INCLUDES HEALTH CARE SERVICES, CHILD CARE, HOUSING-RELATED PROGRAMS AND SELF-HELP PROGRAMS UNDER THE CATEGORY 'HUMAN SERVICE'. THE PROPOSAL I AM OFFERING WOULD SPECIFICALLY INCLUDE PROGRAMS THAT ASSIST THOSE WHO ARE ELDERLY, DISABLED, POOR, AND HOMELESS IN OBTAINING MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT. (Page 8) PROJECT WITH INDUSTRY PROGRAMS, PROGRAMS UNDER THE JOB TRAINING PARTNERSHIP ACT, VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AGENCIES AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS OFFERING EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE ARE AMONG THE TYPES OF PROGRAMS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT COULD BENEFIT FROM THE SERVICES OF VOLUNTEERS. (Page 9) MR. PRESIDENT, WE SHOULD NOT JUST FOCUS ON SERVICE PROGRAMS THAT WILL MAKE EASIER THE DAY-TO-DAY LIVES OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE CITIZENS. WE SHOULD ALSO EMPHASIZE PROGRAMS THAT CAN ASSURE MANY OF THESE INDIVIDUALS ACHIEVE GREATER INDEPENDENCE AND DIGNITY BY HELPING THEM BECOME PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY. (Page 10) IMPORTANT TO SUCH ENDEAVORS IS THE RECOGNITION THAT ALL OF US HAVE UNIQUE TALENTS AND SKILLS --WHETHER ONE HAPPENS TO HAVE A DISABILITY OR NOT. OVERCOMING THE BARRIERS THAT EXCLUDE ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES FROM JOBS COMMENSURATE WITH THEIR ABILITIES HAS NOT BEEN EASY. THERE ARE MANY INDIVIDUALS (Page 11) WITH DISABILITIES, WHO BY REASON OF THEIR DISABILITY, ARE UNABLE TO WORK, YET COULD SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTE TO VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES. IT'S ALREADY BEING DONE. JUST RECENTLY THE DOLE FOUNDATION AWARDED A GRANT TO THE CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING IN BERKLEY, CALIFORNIA TO ASSIST THE AREA HOMELESS IN FINDING SHELTER AND EVENTUAL EMPLOYMENT THROUGH JOB (Page 12)TRAINING ACTIVITIES. THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR HAS TAKEN THE LEAD WITH THIS PROJECT THROUGH FUNDING UNDER THE STEWART MCKINNEY ACT. THIS PROJECT IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF TRUE VOLUNTEERISM AT WORK --PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER PROVIDING FREE TRAINING AND COUNSELING TO HELP HOMELESS PEOPLE FIND JOBS AND INTEGRATE THEMSELVES BACK (Page 13) INTO THE COMMUNITY. IN ADDITION TO REGULAR PAID STAFF, THERE ARE MANY HOMELESS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WHO VOLUNTEER THEIR TALENTS. SINCE THE OCTOBER 17TH EARTHQUAKE, THE PROJECT HAS ASSISTED VICTIMS IN RELOCATING AND FINDING EMPLOYMENT. THE PROJECT HAS ALSO SET UP A CLOTHING CENTER TO PROVIDE FREE CLOTHING TO THE HOMELESS. MY AMENDMENT PROPOSES (Page 14) MAKING THE THREE WEEK TRAINING PROGRAM REQUIRED BY THIS LEGISLATION ACCESSIBLE WHEREVER APPROPRIATE. THE BIGGEST BARRIER TO INCLUSION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IS THE LACK OF UNDERSTANDING. THE INTENT OF THIS LEGISLATION IS TO UNLOCK AND SPREAD TALENT AROUND, INCLUDING THE TALENTS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. THE RESPONSIBILITY TO SUPPORT (Page 15) PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES BEGINS AND ENDS WHERE IT DOES WITH EVERYONE ELSE. PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ARE EAGER AND READY TO CONTRIBUTE YET STILL FACE DISCRIMINATION AND LACK OF ACCESSIBILITY. ASSURING ACCESS CARRIES WITH IT THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROVISION OF REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS. TWO OF THE AMENDMENTS (Page 16) UNDER MY PROPOSAL WILL REQUIRE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. ONE WILL INSIST THAT THE APPLICATIONS IN THEIR DESCRIPTIONS OF THE EQUIPMENT FACILITIES, EMERGENCY CARE AND OTHER FEATURES, INCLUDE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR (Page 17) INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES. OFTEN PROVIDING ACCOMMODATIONS FOR PARTICIPANTS WITH DISABILITIES INVOLVES NO MORE THAN TAKING A COMMON SENSE APPROACH THAT NEED NOT BE DIFFICULT TO BE EFFECTIVE. THE OTHER AMENDMENT PROPOSES MAKING THE THREE WEEK TRAINING PROGRAM REQUIRED BY THIS LEGISLATION TO BE ACCESSIBLE WHEREVER APPROPRIATE. THE BIGGEST BARRIER TO INCLUSION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IS THE LACK OF (Page 18) UNDERSTANDING. THESE AMENDMENTS WILL SEND A SIGNAL THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. FINALLY, MR. PRESIDENT, WHERE THE BILL REFERS TO INDIVIDUALS, OR PARTICIPANTS, WITH 'HANDICAPPING CONDITIONS', MY PROPOSAL WOULD SUBSTITUTE THE TERM 'WITH DISABILITIES' WHEREVER (Page 19) THE TERM 'WITH A HANDICAPPING CONDITION' OCCURS. THE USAGE OF THE TERM 'WITH DISABILITIES' IS CONSISTENT WITH LANGUAGE FOUND IN THE REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973 AND THE FAIR HOUSING ACT, AS WELL AS DISABILITY RELATED LEGISLATION PENDING BEFORE CONGRESS, INCLUDING THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT AND THE EDUCATION OF THE HANDICAPPED ACT. THIS IMPORT ANT CHANGE IN (Page 20) TERMINOLOGY WILL BRING OUTDATED TERMINOLOGY UP-TO­DATE WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART POLICY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. ### (Page 21)