Harkin: Clinton will help ensure inclusive America for people with disabilities

PHILADELPHIA - Tom Harkin kicked off the second day of the Democratic National Convention with a lesson in sign language.

The former Democratic U.S. senator from Iowa spoke at the convention Tuesday, the 26th anniversary of his signature legislation - the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Harkin told the crowd he would teach them a word in sign language. He told the thousands to join their hands by interlocking their fingers, then to make a circle motion.

'That, my friends, is the sign for ‘America,' ” Harkin said, drawing loud applause. 'It's a beautiful sign. Think about it: We're all together. No one is left out in this constant circle of life that is America.”

Harkin celebrated the ADA and said Hillary Clinton, who later Tuesday formally was named the party's nominee for president, will be a champion for people with disabilities.

'That is the America that we all want, disabled and not disabled alike,” Harkin said. 'It is the beautiful America that Hillary Clinton will fight for, for every person to be respected, valued and treated with dignity.”

Harkin retired from the Senate in 2014. He said that in his retirement he has extended his work for people with disabilities, working with organizations that help them find employment.

Harkin noted the small percentage of adults with disabilities who are working - 35 percent in 2014, according to federal data compiled by Cornell University in New York. He said the law should be changed to prevent employers from paying employees with disabilities less than the minimum wage, and said disabled adults on Medicaid should be free to live at home and not only in nursing homes.

'We still have a long way to go before we build a truly inclusive America,” Harkin said. 'Hillary Clinton wants to ensure people with disabilities are judged by their potential and have the tools to secure competitive, integrated employment.”