06 LC
35 0226
House
Resolution 1828
By:
Representatives Day of the
163rd,
Morris of the
155th,
Parrish of the
156th,
Jones of the
46th,
Burmeister of the
119th,
and others
A
RESOLUTION
Commending
Dr. James L. Cherry, a distinguished Georgian, for his pioneering efforts in the
disability rights movement; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS,
Georgia native Dr. James L. Cherry is a leading figure in the struggle for equal
rights for the disabled, devoting his life to forging a more free and just
world; and
WHEREAS,
Dr. Cherry initiated the legislative effort leading to the passage of Section
504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a groundbreaking federal law modeled
after Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and considered to be the first civil
rights act for persons with disabilities; and
WHEREAS,
later, in his 1976 landmark case of
Cherry v.
Matthews, 419 F. Supp. 922 (D.D.C. 1976),
the United States federal court ruled that the federal government was obligated
to develop and promulgate a comprehensive regulation under Section 504 to
prevent discrimination against persons with disabilities nationwide, a decision
that marked the first time disabled individuals were recognized as a protected
class by the United States government; and
WHEREAS,
this groundbreaking decision has affected tens of thousands of federally
assisted programs in thousands of cities and communities across America, with
Section 504 requirements applying to universities, schools, hospitals, state and
local government buildings and programs, transportation systems, police and fire
stations, day care centers, parks, legal services, public housing, and numerous
other federally assisted programs; and
WHEREAS,
Cherry v.
Matthews served as the foundation for the
federal Americans with Disabilities Act, which was largely a restatement of the
federal regulations under Section 504 with expanded scope to encompass other
areas of society; and
WHEREAS,
for over 35 years, Dr. Cherry has fought steadfastly for numerous other
innovative legislative and legal efforts to clear hurdles for the disabled, such
as the voting accessibility law, handicapped parking laws, building
accessibility standards, and the Assistive Technology Warranty Act;
and
WHEREAS,
Dr.
Cherrýs
tireless commitment to justice and equality has changed the lives of countless
Americans with disabilities, helping to guarantee disabled citizens the rights
and freedoms they never before had, and it is abundantly fitting and proper for
this body to pay tribute to the many contributions of this heroic
Georgian.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of
this body commend Dr. James L. Cherry on his four decades of dedicated and
successful volunteer advocacy for the disabled community and thank him for his
outstanding contributions to Georgia.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of this body endorse the spirit of Section
504 and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and support continued
efforts to make our society more fair and accessible for disabled
Americans.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House is authorized and directed to
transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to Dr. James L. Cherry.