Leaders in Congress have introduced new legislation to water down the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The bill, HR 620, is designed to let business owners off the hook for ADA compliance, allowing them to ignore accessibility issues until there are complaints and

creating hurdles for anyone who complains. This puts the burden for accessibility back onto people with disabilities, just like the bad old days before the ADA.

The signing of the ADA in 1990 was a pivotal moment for disability rights. The ADA, which guarantees certain types of disability accommodations and other protections, led to a new era of accessibility for people with disabilities.

It is because of the ADA, for example, that a person with a disability can pursue legal recourse if they can’t access a building or mode of public transportation. There is still a long way to go to make our society completely inclusive, but the ADA changed the public conversation from “should we bother with accessibility?” to “how are we going to ensure accessibility?”

That leaders in Congress want to make it even harder for people with disabilities to access public spaces is unacceptable for UDW caregivers and our clients.

That’s why UDW has joined other advocates for seniors and people with disabilities to oppose this legislation. We’ve signed on to a letter to the leaders of the House and Senate, calling on them to reject this harmful threat to our rights. And we will continue to fight to protect and expand inclusion, for our clients, our families, and our communities.

Read our letter opposing HR 620: http://www.advocacymonitor.com/letter-opposing-the-ada-education-and-reform-act/

Learn more about the history and importance of the ADA: https://dredf.org/news/publications/the-history-of-the-ada/