FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Stephanie Woodward – 585-269-9184

Rochester, NY — On Wednesday, February 7, 2018, the political action committee Disability Action for America released a statement in opposition of the so-called ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017 (H.R. 620). This harmful legislation would undermine the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the landmark civil rights law for disabled Americans.

Do not be misled by the name of this bill; this bill is not an attempt to educate or reform, but an unabashed attempt by Congress to undermine the ADA and discriminate against individuals the ADA was meant to protect, by allowing public accommodations to remain inaccessible. Furthermore, this bill would force people with disabilities to jump through bureaucratic hoops to secure the same rights that were promised to them under the ADA 28 years ago.

Disability Action for America’s call to action highlights the importance of holding incumbents responsible for “ripping away disabled people’s rights to access public accommodations,” stating, “it’s our time to defeat and unseat elected officials who refuse to promote disability rights, and repeatedly commit disability wrongs. Last year, we exerted our power through protest: Let’s make 2018 the year that demonstrates the power of the disability vote!”

Disability Action for America is calling upon people with disabilities to hold their members of Congress accountable for threatening the rights of disabled Americans. The Center for Disability Rights fully supports this call to action and will continue to fight with our community against the unjust treatment of Americans with Disabilities.

Locally, Representative Tom Reed is one of two members of Congress from New York that is supporting this destructive bill. CDR urges all disabled people in western New York to contact Congressman Reed to tell him to stop attacking the Disability Community and hold him accountable for deliberately seeking to limit the great work accomplished by the ADA and restrict the ability for persons with disabilities to fight for their rights in court.

Disability Action for America (Full Statement): http://www.disabilityactionusa.com/2018/02/07/action-needed-to-save-the-americans-with-disabilities-act/

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