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In reply to the discussion: Here is a list of Democrats opposing Americans with Disabilities Act [View all]Autumn
(45,064 posts)50. I will defer to what Tammy Duckworth had to say about it instead of the opinions of
posters in a thread, she's well aware of the challenges facing we disabled Americans. Thanks for your input anyway.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/congress-is-on-the-offensive-against-americans-with-disabilities/2017/10/17/f508069c-b
At the signing ceremony, President George H.W. Bush noted that before the ADA, tragically, for too many Americans, the blessings of liberty have been limited or even denied. The Civil Rights Act of 64 took a bold step towards righting that wrong. But the stark fact remained that people with disabilities were still victims of segregation and discrimination, and this was intolerable. Bush declared, Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down.
Decades later, the forces of discrimination are working hard to rebuild that wall. Led by the hospitality and retail industries, special interests want to shift the burden of ADA compliance away from business owners and onto individuals with disabilities. Theyre backing a bill that has already passed the House Judiciary Committee, the so-called ADA Education and Reform Act, which would reward businesses that fail to comply with the law. The bill would allow businesses to wait until they are notified of their failure to meet legal obligations before they even have to start removing barriers that prevent Americans with disabilities from leading independent lives.
This offensive legislation would segregate the disability community, making it the only protected class under civil rights law that must rely on education rather than strong enforcement to guarantee access to public spaces. As the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Rights Task Force and other civil rights organizations wrote in opposing this bill, We know of no other law that outlaws discrimination but permits entities to discriminate with impunity until victims experience that discrimination and educate the entities perpetrating it about their obligations not to discriminate.
For decades, from enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 through passage of the ADA, Congress has worked to enshrine the principle in law that no American should be denied access to a public space because of who they are, be it their race, nationality, religion, gender or disability. The ADA Education and Reform Act betrays this bipartisan legacy.
Decades later, the forces of discrimination are working hard to rebuild that wall. Led by the hospitality and retail industries, special interests want to shift the burden of ADA compliance away from business owners and onto individuals with disabilities. Theyre backing a bill that has already passed the House Judiciary Committee, the so-called ADA Education and Reform Act, which would reward businesses that fail to comply with the law. The bill would allow businesses to wait until they are notified of their failure to meet legal obligations before they even have to start removing barriers that prevent Americans with disabilities from leading independent lives.
This offensive legislation would segregate the disability community, making it the only protected class under civil rights law that must rely on education rather than strong enforcement to guarantee access to public spaces. As the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Rights Task Force and other civil rights organizations wrote in opposing this bill, We know of no other law that outlaws discrimination but permits entities to discriminate with impunity until victims experience that discrimination and educate the entities perpetrating it about their obligations not to discriminate.
For decades, from enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 through passage of the ADA, Congress has worked to enshrine the principle in law that no American should be denied access to a public space because of who they are, be it their race, nationality, religion, gender or disability. The ADA Education and Reform Act betrays this bipartisan legacy.
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Here is a list of Democrats opposing Americans with Disabilities Act [View all]
NCDem777
Feb 2018
OP
You saying these Dems would want the Disabilities Act tossed in the dumpster,or some parts of it?
Bengus81
Feb 2018
#1
Here's Bob Casey's full statement explaining why it's a bad bill.linked from propublica
hedda_foil
Feb 2018
#38
What part of ... have had 27 years to make their services accessible to all...
GeorgeGist
Feb 2018
#40
What part of most small businesses are less than 2 years old didn't you understand? nt
Blue_true
Feb 2018
#41
Yes because small businesses have been on top of fixing violations of the ADA for the last 27 years.
Autumn
Feb 2018
#24
If they have been there a year or two they have had time to comply, I haven't seen any glee. YMMV nt
Autumn
Feb 2018
#45
Letting politicians know that they can't roll back Civil Rights is something to get behind
Autumn
Feb 2018
#47
I will defer to what Tammy Duckworth had to say about it instead of the opinions of
Autumn
Feb 2018
#50
Of course she said nothing about primarying Democrats, neither did I. One can discuss the
Autumn
Feb 2018
#54
It fits into the category of gutting a Civil Rights Act, gutting the ADA harms actual people.
Autumn
Feb 2018
#68
No, it shows that lots of people, even progressive Democrats, don't understand what the ADA is
thucythucy
Feb 2018
#57
It is actually not misleading. It is lacking context and explanation but not misleading.
Caliman73
Feb 2018
#39
Here's the DREDF (Disability Rights and Education Defense Fund) take on this:
thucythucy
Feb 2018
#52