June 24 was the national call-in day for the public to call their congressman and ask him/her to vote for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) amendments of 2008. The amendments propose greater employment equality for disabled individuals.
The Department of Justice has also issued a request for comments on the proposed regulations, which is going on now til Aug. 18. We sent this Action Alert around to The Arc community today to encourage people to voice their support of the amendments. Send in your comment today and help influence Congress’s vote!
Background
On June 17, 2008 the Department of Justice issued a request for comments on proposed regulations for Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Title II of the ADA pertains to state and local government and Title III pertains to commercial entities.
There are over 100 questions included in the separate requests for comments for Title II and Title III. Many of the questions are identical, but several are different.
What are regulations and why are they important?
Federal agencies periodically create regulations to provide guidance, clarification, or changes to existing laws and programs. Once regulations are final, they can have as much impact as laws.
Who can submit comments?
Anyone. A variety of groups will submit comments on the ADA: businesses, local government, individuals with disabilities, families, and organizations. With many perspectives being offered, it’s critical that the disability community be well represented. Your voice is needed.
What are the priority questions?
After meeting with the Department of Justice, the DPC and other disability organizations have selected 11 questions of particular importance. These questions request examples of personal and anecdotal experiences. Please see the priority questions for both titles and background information. Differences in the questions for both titles are highlighted.
What is the deadline for comments?
Comments must be received by August 18, 2008.
How do I send comments?
It’s easy. You must submit comments for title II & III regulations separately. Each can be submitted in one of two ways:
1) Mail comments to: ADA NPRM, P.O. Box 2846, Fairfax, VA 22031-0846; OR
2) Post comments on the government regulations Web site (recommended).
If you choose to post comments to the government regulation Web site, you have two options:
1) Enter comments in the General Comments field. (Make sure to type the question number(s) you are responding to and then your comments.)
2) Prepare comments in a document, and then upload the document.
August 3, 2008 at 6:05 pm
From my experience, the ADA is a bunch of CRAP!…..A manager in the government office I worked in, harassed me to no end! He indirectly harassed me because I had used my handicap to keep my job, 20 years earlier. Because in the early 2000s from his harassment, my medical condition got extremely bad!
And you know what? If I faught him (got him fired, in jail, or sued him), he or his friends would probably get me fired or make my working conditions awful!
The ADA may help in employment. But after one is employeed, and discriminated against in handicap, there is no place to turn!
August 8, 2008 at 7:49 pm
You raise a legitimate concern. If you’re angry and disappointed in the system, channel that energy into something that promotes effective change for all of us, and yourself. Write to your congressman (see our post today at http://tinyurl.com/658jwx), tell him or her what you think needs to be changed. Thanks for your comment, and reading our blog.