United Spinal Association Urges Congress to Restore Americans with Disabilities Act
Washington, D.C.—Congress held the first hearing, Thursday, October 4th, on a bill to restore the employment protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Paul Tobin, President of United Spinal Association, said: “We are proud that United Spinal Association worked hard on a national campaign to help obtain 221 co-sponsors from both parties, enough to pass the bill in the House of Representatives. Enactment of the ADA Restoration Act will give people with disabilities a chance to be judged fairly and to succeed in the workplace.”
The ADA was enacted in 1990 with overwhelming support from both parties, and it was signed by President George H.W. Bush. Over the years, the courts have created an absurd “Catch-22” that enables employers to say that a person is “too disabled” to do the job, but “not disabled enough” to be protected by the ADA. This is wrong and directly contrary to the intent of Congress.
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), the primary sponsor of this bill in the House along with Congressman James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), made it clear that this bill does not expand the ADA but just restores the original intent of Congress that has been undermined by the courts.
At the October 4th hearing of the Constitution Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee, Hoyer stated: “Let me be clear. When we wrote the ADA, we intentionally used a definition of disability that was broad.” He added that Congress could not have fathomed that many people with disabilities would be kicked out of court because, with medication, mitigating measures, or devices, they would not meet the definition of a person with a disability.
For more information about the bill to restore the Americans with Disabilities Act, including a way to find out if your own Representative is one of the co-sponsors, Mr. Tobin encourages people to go to the United Spinal Association’s website at http://www.unitedspinal.org/advocacy/employment-discrimination/.
United Spinal Association is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization formed in 1946 to provide expertise, create access to resources and strengthen hope, thereby enabling people with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D) to fulfill their potential as active members of their communities. United Spinal advocated for and drafted significant portions of landmark federal legislation including the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Amendments Act, and we continue to provide critical health care and benefits counseling to military veterans from all wars with spinal cord injuries through our Vets First program. Membership is free and open to individuals with disabilities of the spinal cord of all ages. For more information, please visit www.unitedspinal.org or call 800-404-2898.