Thursday, June 26, 2008

House Passes Landmark Disability Rights Bill

The ADA Amendments Act of 2008 overwhelmingly passed the House on June 25 by vote of 402-17. This is a a historic move that aims to maintain the original intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) spoke at a press conference yesterday (see photo) in support of the bill. He was backed by people living with disabilities, advocates, members of the employer community, and other congressional leaders. Hoyer was the lead sponsor of the original ADA, the major civil rights movement that became law in 1990.

Court decisions over the past decade have excluded individuals who should have been covered under the ADA. For people living with multiple sclerosis, medications and medical devices can give the perception that someone is fully functional. That can lead some employers to erroneously deny them their ADA protections. This bill helps to preserve those protections for poeple living with disabilities.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

I think this is so exciting1 Now if the Senate and the President come thru for us ? It has taken so long for people with disabilities to have equality. Watching the Supreme Court whittling it down was heartbreaking.I speak from observing the inequality since I graduated as a P.T in 1957. washeartbreaking.

Frank said...

For those of us that live in California’s 48th Congressional District I note that our Congressman was one of the 17!

I am expressing myself to the local media, the Congressman's staff and making a notation in my voter pamphlet to remind me of this!