FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
 
  
 
MAPP-POTTER ADMINISTRATION ADVANCES   
TRAINING AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR   
INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES  
   
(July 23, 2015, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands)  The Office of the Governor 
Americans with Disabilities Act is pleased and honored to celebrate 25 years of the signing 
of the American with Disabilities Act.  On July 25, 1990, the United States of America 
gained a pivotal piece of civil rights legislation aimed at eliminating discrimination against 
people with disabilities.  The doors to equality, independence, integration and self-
sufficiency was keyed and opened on that day.  In the Virgin Islands, the door was opened 
slightly and there remains lots of work to be done so that the door can be opened 
completely and seamlessly.    
  
The Mapp/Potter Administration is dedicated to the full implementation of the 
ADA.  Over the last several weeks, the Territorial ADA Coordinator, Jamila Russell, held 
town hall meetings on all three islands so that individuals with disabilities would have the 
opportunity to meet and discuss their issues with members of the executive branch.  
Members of the ADA community learned of the Mapp/Potter Administration’s work on 
recruiting and hiring workers with disabilities.  Through grant monies from the Workforce 
Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), the Departments of Education, Human Services 
and Labor and the ADA Coordinator will be working collaboratively to provide training 
and job opportunities to individuals with disabilities.    
  
As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the ADA, we recognize that barriers still 
exists and too many individuals with disabilities are denied the American opportunity of 
fully participating in our community and in our workforce.  The Mapp/Potter 
Administration commits to educating all on the mandates of the ADA, as well as 
implementing and enforcing the mandates of the ADA in the territory.  The doorway to 
full participation, opportunity and independence for people with disabilities has been 
opened and the Mapp/Potter Administration is committed to keep that door open and 
help individuals with disabilities through the door.  Together we can all work to make the 
Virgin Islands a better place for all Virgin Islanders.  
  
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