[Community-service] Legislative Alert from Presidents Notebook

[Darian Smith, President, National Federation of the Blind Community Service Division]

All,
 Please see the below message from President Riccobono’s  “Presidents Notebook.
 As members of the Federation one of the things we do better than anyone is move a legislative policy.
 The below is one of major importance to us as blind people, and to others as Americans with disabilities.
 Please do take a moment to act on the below.
 Thank you so very much!
"
Legislative Alert:
H.R. 620, the ADA Education and Reform Act, will be voted on in committee (referred to as markup) over the next week or two. If passed, this legislation will dramatically weaken the ADA, hindering education, employment, and community participation for all people with disabilities. The bill prevents people with disabilities from filing a lawsuit regarding an ADA violation until the person first notifies the violator. The violator then has 60 days to respond and then has another 120 days to remedy the problem, for a total delay of 180 days.

Does it make sense to wait 180 days for accessible instructional material? By then, the class will be over. How about waiting 180 days for an accessible job application? By then the job will be filled. How about waiting 180 days at the doctor’s office for an accessible check-in kiosk? Furthermore, this legislation will do nothing to stop so-called frivolous lawsuits, which will still be valid under state law. Businesses do not need more time to comply with the ADA—they have had twenty-seven years already.
 
Please call your representative and urge them to oppose H.R. 620, the ADA Education and Reform Act. And if your representative has not cosponsored one of our other three bills, also urge them to do so. Congress will be back in session for the next two weeks but please try to make your calls and send your emails by Friday, June 22. A short summary of each bill is included below. I have also included a list of all the current cosponsors. The best way to contact your member of Congress is to call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for the office in question. Emailing your member of Congress is also a good idea. If you do so, please copy JPare at nfb.org <mailto:JPare at nfb.org>. 

It is critical that we shut down H.R. 620. In addition, we are hoping to significantly raise the number of cosponsors on all of our bills before convention but we cannot do it without everyone working together. Your calls and emails make a big difference. 

 



Darian Smith
President, National Federation  of the Blind Community Service Division

Web: www.nfbcommunityservice.org

Twitter: @NFB_CSD, at goldengateace

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CommunityServiceDivision"

E-mail: president at nfbcommunityservice.org <mailto:president at nfbcommunityservice.org>
 
(415)215-9809

 

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