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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The following letter was sent to each House Representative from President Riccobono:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Re Opposing H R 3765 the ADA Education and Reform Act of 2015.pdf<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>NFB Logo<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>September 8, 2016 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Mark Riccobono, President | 200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place Baltimore, MD 21230 | 410 659 9314 | www.nfb.org <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>United States House of Representatives <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Washington, DC 20515 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Mark Riccobono, President | 200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place Baltimore, MD 21230 | 410 659 9314 | www.nfb.org <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Re: Opposing H.R. 3765 the ADA Education and Reform Act of 2015 Dear Representative: <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) opposes H.R. 3765. For seventy-six years, NFB members have fought for, and to protect, the rights of people<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>with disabilities in the United States. In 1990, our members worked closely with our partners in the disability community and Congress to secure the passage<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>of the Americans with Disabilities Act, (ADA). The ADA revolutionized the way we, as people with disabilities, interact with and access government services,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>commerce, and participate in our local communities. The passage of the ADA affirmed the principal that people with disabilities are first-class citizens,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>with rights and protections under the law, like all other Americans. However, H.R. 3765, the ADA Education and Reform Act of 2015 now threatens to undermine<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the mechanisms of the law that afford us those protections. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Under the framework of H.R. 3765, a person with a disability confronting access barriers would be required to give a written notice to the business owner,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>who then has 60 days to even acknowledge the problem, followed by an additional 120 days to take corrective action. No other group is required to wait<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>180 days to enforce their civil rights. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>One of the “problems” proponents of H.R. 3765 refer to when talking about this legislation is that business-owners are unfairly being victimized by the<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>accessibility requirements set forth by the ADA. However, this flawed approach neglects to recognize the daily experiences of millions of Americans with<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>disabilities, who every day are discriminated against by public facilities and e-commerce that fail to meet even the most minimal accessibility requirements.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Furthermore, the ADA was carefully crafted to ensure that such requirements are not overly burdensome, and our experience as Americans with disabilities<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>has taught us that when included from the design and development stages, accessibility features do not result in increased construction and manufacturing<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>costs. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Proponents also argue that monetary incentives are behind most civil action under the ADA. However, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which applies to privately operated public accommodations, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>commercial facilities, and private entities offering certain examinations and courses, prohibits money <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>damages.i A handful of states allow damages according to their state laws, and this bill will do nothing to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>prevent damage awards under state laws. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>i 42 U.S.C. § 12188; 42 U.S.C §§ 12182 and 12181(7); 42 U.S.C. §§ 12183 and 12181(2); and 42 U.S.C. § 12189. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>520<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Furthermore, this bill would force disabled Americans, who face wage, employment, and other forms of discrimination that can impact our financial resources,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to pay attorneys to draft the notice. No attorney would take a case without the prospect of receiving payment for their work. That is why the drafters<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>of the Americans with Disabilities Act included attorney’s fees; it is what makes the ADA function. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Finally, there are a multitude of resources available to help small businesses comply with the ADA. However, there are very few resources available to<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>help blind and other disabled Americans receive the equal access we need to live in society. This bill would severely limit one of the few tools we have<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>at our disposal to ensure we are provided an equal opportunity to participate. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Despite the major accomplishments of the Americans with Disabilities Act, people with disabilities continue to confront systemic accessibility barriers,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and rather than exacerbating this experience, Congress should work to build upon the ADA’s progress to ensure that blind and all other disabled Americans<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>can live the lives we want. H.R. 3765 will not be a step forward, but rather, a step back. I strongly urge you to vote nay on H.R. 3765 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sincerely, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Mark A. Riccobono <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>President, National Federation of the Blind <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>