Tom Harkin Case Study

In 1988, a court case was presented to the Senate Subcommittee on Disability Policy and the House Subcommittee on Select Education. Several disabled advocates took the stand as witnesses argued about building and communication accessibility as well constant prejudice attacks on the disabled. After that, Senator Ted Kennedy and Senator Tom Harkin created bill that would be Congress's final product of the ADA. Harkin really used this time to emphasize on the importance of the ADA. Harkin became famous as a political leader for Iowa. He was elected to Congress in 1974 and he served ten years before his election to the Senate. He served specifically in the House of Representatives, representing Iowa’s Fifth District. He came to the Senate in 1984 and was reelected three times in 1990, 1996, and 2002. …show more content…
He was really hurt to see his brother being discriminated in his childhood as well as his adulthood. Frank was sent to a deaf school in Council Bluffs, IA. (Those schools were referred to as "School for the Deaf and Dumb".) There, Frank was told he had limited career options: a Shoe Cobbler, a Printer's Assistant, or a Baker. Frank didn't want those careers but was forced to be a baker. He later thought was given the opportunity to work at Jet-Engine factory, and he took the job. After a few months, Frank's employer found out that Frank was the most productive employee than the rest; this was due to Frank disability; since he couldn't hear anything, noise didn't bother him. Seeing this, Frank's boss hired more people who were