托福阅读材料：奥巴马在《美国残疾人法》周年日纪念演讲2
托福阅读材料：奥巴马在《美国残疾人法》周年日纪念演讲2Today, we mark the 22nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) -- a historic piece of civil rights legislation that affirmed Americans with disabilities are Americans first. When many wrongfully doubted that people with disabilities could participate in our society, contribute to our economy, or support their families, the ADA asserted that they could. Under this landmark law, America became the first Nation to comprehensively declare equality for its citizens with disabilities -- an accomplishment that continues to guide our country toward fulfilling its most essential promises not just for some, but for all.转自:考试网 -
今天，我们纪念《美国残疾人法》通过22周年——这是一部具有历史意义的民权法律，它明确宣告有残疾的美国人首先是美国人。当许多人错误地怀疑残疾人能否参与我们的社会、对我们的经济作出贡献或养活自己的家庭时，《美国残疾人法》断言他们能够这样做。根据这个具有里程碑意义的法律，美国成为世界上第一个全面宣告残疾人公民享有平等权利的国家——这项成就继续引导我国去履行最基本的承诺，不仅是为了某些人，而且是为了所有的人。
Yet, despite the gains we have made, independence and freedom from discrimination remain out of reach for too many individuals with disabilities. That is why my Administration continues to build on the legacy set forth by the ADA. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies can no longer deny coverage to children with disabilities because of pre-existing conditions, medical history, or genetic information -- a provision that will be extended to all Americans in 2014. We have fought to protect and strengthen Medicare and Medicaid by improving benefits and opposing proposals that would shift costs to seniors and persons with disabilities. And earlier this year, we established the Administration for Community Living at the Department of Health and Human Services to help ensure people with disabilities have the support they need to live with respect and dignity in their communities, and to be fully included in our national life.
然而，尽管我们取得了上述成就，对于许多残疾人来说，独立和不遭受歧视仍然遥不可及。这就是为什么本届政府继续要在《美国残疾人法》给我们打下的基础上发扬光大。由于《合理医疗费用法》的缘故，保险公司不能再因为原有病症、病史或遗传信息拒绝给残疾儿童入保——这项条款将在 2014年扩大至所有的美国人。我们一直为保护和加强联邦老年医保计划和医疗补助计划而斗争，改善了服务，并反对那些把费用转嫁给老年人和残疾人的种种建议。今年早些时候，我们在卫生与人类服务部设立了社区生活局，以确保残疾人能够获得他们在生活中所需要的支持，在自己的社区内受到尊敬并有尊严地生活。
Because every American deserves access to a world-class education, we have worked to make learning environments safer and more inclusive. Last September, the Department of Education implemented new standards for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that will help measure and improve outcomes for infants and toddlers with disabilities. Moving forward, we will continue to take action to help all children learn, develop, and participate in instructional programs that equip them with the tools for success in school and beyond.
鉴于每个美国人都有权获得世界一流的教育，我们致力于使学习环境更加安全和更具包容性。去年9月，教育部实施了《残疾人教育法》新标准，这些标准将有助于测验并提高残疾婴儿与幼童的各项能力。未来，我们将继续采取行动帮助所有儿童学习和成长，并开设必要课程，使他们能够掌握各种工具，在学校内外都取得成功。
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