06 LC 97
0690
Senate
Resolution 1235
By:
Senators Henson of the 41st, Hooks of the 14th and Williams of the 19th
A
RESOLUTION
Commending
Dr. James L. Cherry for his pioneering efforts in the disability rights
movement; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS,
for many years, Dr. James L. Cherry, a native of Georgia, has been one of the
leading figures in the struggle for equal rights for the disabled, devoting his
life to forging a more free and just world; and
WHEREAS,
Dr. Cherry was instrumental in 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,
Cherry v.
Matthews, 419 F. Supp. 922 (D.D.C. 1976),
United States District Court Judge John Lewis Smith, Jr., 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 holding 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 the country,
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 regulation under Section 504 with expanded scope to encompass other
areas of society; and
WHEREAS,
for over 35 years, Dr. Cherry has been involved in 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. Cherry's tireless commitment to justice and equality has changed the lives
of countless Americans with disabilities, 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 SENATE 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 Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed
to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to Dr. James L. Cherry.