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National Disability Rights Network Urges Congress to Pass ADA Restoration Act

17th anniversary of landmark Americans with Disabilities Act reveals progress, much yet to be done

(July 26, 2007) Today – the 17 th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) – leading Members of the House and Senate, including Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (MD), Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced the ADA Restoration Act with strong support from the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) and the larger disability community.

Over the past 17 years, the courts have narrowed the definition of disability so much that p eople with conditions like epilepsy, diabetes, HI V, cancer, and hearing loss who manage their disabilities with medication, prosthetics, or hearing aids are viewed as “too functional” to have a disability. While these same people may be denied a job or fired because an employer mistakenly believes they cannot perform the job, they are denied the ADA’s protection from employment discrimination. This creates a Catch-22 in which employers say a person is “too disabled” to do the job but not “disabled enough” to be protected by the law.

The ADA Restoration Act introduced today ensures the right of individuals to be judged based on performance. It restores the original intent of Congress, harmonizing the ADA with other civil rights laws and requiring the courts to interpret the law fairly.

• Read rest of release
• More information on the ADA Restoration Act from the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD)
• Take Action - Tell Your Member of Congress to Support ADA Restoration
• Co-sponsors List

 

For public policy alerts, please join the Public Policy listserv by sending your name, job title, P&A/CAP affiliation, and e-mail address to kathy.mcginley@ndrn.org; please include Public Policy Listserv in the subject line. (view past "Inside Washington" public policy alerts) NDRN bases its public policy views on the firm belief that people with disabilities have the constitutional right to fully participate in our democratic society. The main objective of the P&A/CAP network is to protect and defend this constitutional right and the other rights that flow from it. NDRN also monitors and reacts to the implementation and enforcement of existing or new legislation that has an impact on the lives of individuals with disabilities. NDRN efforts include interacting with a variety of federal agencies and entities either in person or through the regulatory process.