EEOC COMMISSIONER TO PARTICIPATE IN ADA TORCH RELAY DURING TRIP TO MISSISSIPPI

JACKSON, MISS. - Paul Steven Miller, a Commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), will be in Jackson today and Thursday, to take part in activities celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Tomorrow, July 13, Commissioner Miller will participate in the national "Spirit of the ADA" Torch Relay, which starts at 9:00 a.m. at the offices of the Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities, 754 N. President Street, with opening ceremonies and remarks on the South Steps of the State Capitol from 9:00 to 9:20 a.m.

"The ADA Torch Relay celebrates the spirit and meaning of the 10th anniversary of this landmark civil rights law," said Commissioner Miller. "Over the past 10 years, disabled people have become integrated into all facets of society.  The ADA has reduced discrimination and allowed people with disabilities to enter and succeed in the workplace."

The 24-city, coast-to-coast, torch relay is being sponsored by the American Association of People with Disabilities, a national organization of disabled people.  "I look forward to carrying the torch as a testament to the barriers that are continually knocked down once individuals with disabilities are given the chance to compete fully," added Mr. Miller.

EEOC is an independent, bi-partisan, federal agency which has enforcement authority for Title I of the ADA, among other major civil rights statutes.  Title I, the employment provisions, prohibits private employers, state and local governments, employment agencies and labor unions from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities in job application procedures, hiring, firing, advancement, compensation, job training, and other terms and conditions of employment.

In addition to enforcing Title I of the ADA, EEOC enforces Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, which prohibits discrimination against individuals 40 years of age or older; sections of the Civil Rights Act of 1991; the Equal Pay Act; and the Rehabilitation Act's prohibitions against disability discrimination in the federal government. Further information about the Commission is available on the agency's web site at www.eeoc.gov.

NOTE TO MEDIA: To arrange an interview with Commissioner Miller, please contact Ben                     Bradley, Director of EEOC's Jackson Area Office, at (601) 965-5613.