Oppose the "ADA Education and Reform Act" (H.R. 620) and stand for equality for Americans with disabilities!
On February 15, 2018, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the “ADA Education and Reform Act” (H.R. 620). This bill is being touted as strengthening the Americans with Disabilities Act, the landmark civil rights law for people with disabilities that became a model for the world to emulate in an effort to include people with disabilities as full members of society.
Despite its purported intentions, the passage of the “ADA Education and Reform Act” moves us closer to reversing years of progress by weakens the ADA by undermining critical aspects of the law necessary for the timely removal of barriers and therefore equal participation in American society. Instead of addressing concerns about potential abuses of the law by educating covered entities about their compliance obligations and right to put forward a legal defense, this bill forces people with disabilities to wait months to have their concerns addressed and even more months for the violator to remedy such concerns. This will likely result in goods and services being denied to people with disabilities, including disabled American service members, because there will be no immediate consequences for discriminating on the basis of disability.
Like the rest of Americans, people with disabilities deserve equal protections and opportunities to participate in society as full as possible. Because of the ADA, our society has made significant progress in eliminating access barriers, even as the law needs reform to keep up with the changing face of American society. The “ADA Reform and Education Act” does not achieve this kind of reform but instead undermines an inclusive society. Therefore, Congress and President Trump should reject H.R. 620.
Despite its purported intentions, the passage of the “ADA Education and Reform Act” moves us closer to reversing years of progress by weakens the ADA by undermining critical aspects of the law necessary for the timely removal of barriers and therefore equal participation in American society. Instead of addressing concerns about potential abuses of the law by educating covered entities about their compliance obligations and right to put forward a legal defense, this bill forces people with disabilities to wait months to have their concerns addressed and even more months for the violator to remedy such concerns. This will likely result in goods and services being denied to people with disabilities, including disabled American service members, because there will be no immediate consequences for discriminating on the basis of disability.
Like the rest of Americans, people with disabilities deserve equal protections and opportunities to participate in society as full as possible. Because of the ADA, our society has made significant progress in eliminating access barriers, even as the law needs reform to keep up with the changing face of American society. The “ADA Reform and Education Act” does not achieve this kind of reform but instead undermines an inclusive society. Therefore, Congress and President Trump should reject H.R. 620.
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