<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><br><br><div id="AppleMailSignature">Jim Y. McCollum<div><a href="mailto:j.mccollum64@comcast.net">j.mccollum64@comcast.net</a> </div><div>860-581-0430 (mobile) </div><div>203-535-1620 (home)</div><div><br></div><div><div>Sent from my iPhone</div></div></div><div><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><b>From:</b> "Sigman, Brian" <<a href="mailto:Brian.Sigman@ct.gov">Brian.Sigman@ct.gov</a>><br><b>Date:</b> February 7, 2018 at 3:04:49 PM EST<br><b>To:</b> "Sigman, Brian" <<a href="mailto:Brian.Sigman@ct.gov">Brian.Sigman@ct.gov</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>FW: [NCSAB Members] House Vote on ADA Notification Bill Anticipated for Next Week</b><br><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Good afternoon,<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">I am forwarding for your information an update on Congressional House Bill 620 that National Council of State Agencies for the Blind policy advisory Dr. Fredric
Schroeder issued a short while ago.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">From:</span></b><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> On Behalf Of Fredric Schroeder<br>
Sent: Wednesday, February 07, 2018 2:50 PM<br>
To: 'NCSAB Membership'<br>
Subject: House Vote on ADA Notification Bill Anticipated for Next Week<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">MEMORANDUM<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">To: NCSAB Membership
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">From: Fred Schroeder<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Subject: House Vote on ADA Notification Bill Anticipated for Next Week<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Date: February 7, 2018<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">As you know, H. R. 620, the ADA Education and Reform Act, would give businesses that have failed to comply with the Title III access requirements of the ADA six months to
correct an access violation before legal action could commence.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">While on its face it seems commonsense and reasonable to give a business time to correct an access violation, the real problem is that H. R. 620 fundamentally weakens the
ADA. H. R. 620 would compromise the civil rights of people with disabilities and make it harder for them to participate in the mainstream of society (including access to stores, hotels, doctors' offices, private schools, social service establishments, and
other places of public accommodation).<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">H. R. 620 signals to businesses that they do not have to worry about accessibility until or unless someone complains. Even then, the business would have six months to correct
the violation; but there's more. The business would not actually have to fully correct the access violation; it would only have had to have made "substantial progress" at the end of six months.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">H. R. 620 would not solve the problems it purports to address. It would not stop fraudulent lawsuits or demand letters that try to extort money from businesses. Courts
and state bars are already equipped to deal with those problems in better ways, without taking away people's civil rights.
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The ADA has been the law of the land since 1990, and the Department of Justice and numerous other federal and state agencies have been providing technical assistance for
years.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The bill's sponsor, Representative Ted Poe (R-TX), plans to bring H. R. 620 to the floor of the House of Representatives next week. Disability advocates are mobilizing.
They are flooding the House with calls, emails and faxes asking Members to oppose H. R. 620.
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">It is anticipated that H. R. 620 will pass the House, but its future in the Senate is far less certain.
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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