THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary
                            (Jaipur, India)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                     March 22, 2000

PRESIDENT CLINTON NAMES J. RICHARD THESING AS A MEMBER OF THE ARCHITECTURAL AND TRANSPORATION BARRIERS COMPLIANCE ACCESS BOARD

The President today announced his intent to appoint J. Richard Thesing to serve as a member of the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Access Board (Access Board).

Mr. J. Richard Thesing, of Atherton, California, recently retired as Managing Partner of Littler Mendelson, P.C., the nation's largest employment law firm. Mr. Thesing is a founding board member of the Walking Impaired Golfers Association of America, a non-profit advocacy group that seeks to have golf courses accessible to those with walking disabilities.

Mr. Thesing received a B.S. degree in Psychology from Loyola-Marymount, a M.A. in Psychology from California State University, Los Angeles and a L.L.B. from Stanford Law School. Mr. Thesing is a paraplegic as a result of a childhood injury.

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Access Board was created to insure compliance with the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 and to establish and maintain minimum guidelines and requirements for standard issues pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Access Board is responsible for promoting the development of accessibility standards for electronic and information technology and telecommunications equipment. In addition, the Board develops advisory guidelines for and provides technical assistance to individuals or entities with rights or duties under the ADA.

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