Capitol Correspondence - 07.29.19

ANCOR Joins Letter Reasserting Importance of ADA to Congress

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As part of our work with the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), ANCOR joined a letter to Congress in honor of the 29th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) last week.

As written in the letter:

“Over the last 29 years, tremendous strides have been made in removing barriers for people with disabilities to employment, transportation, businesses, public services, and telecommunications. The ADA has enabled society to benefit from the skills, talents, and purchasing power of individuals with disabilities and leads to more productive and inclusive lives for all Americans. Without the ADA, our economy would not have the full benefit of workers with disabilities and our communities would not reflect the full diversity of our nation.

Most businesses, including hotels, grocery stores, doctors’ offices, and restaurants are considered to be public accommodations under the ADA. Businesses can receive free technical assistance through the federally funded ADA National Network (https://adata.org). The ADA National Network has 10 regional centers located throughout the country that can provide individual assistance, in-person trainings, webinars, and publications about the ADA. Additional assistance is available for businesses at https://www.ada.gov/ and toll-free ADA Information by calling 800-514-0301 (voice); 800-514-0383 (TTY).

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This month marks the 29th anniversary of the ADA, and while the law has made enormously important changes, many barriers to inclusion of people with disabilities remain. We urge you to ensure that implementation and enforcement of the ADA continue, and that no steps are taken to weaken the ADA’s protections. We also urge you to reach out to CCD, which collectively represents millions of Americans with all types of disabilities, when considering any legislative proposals that may have an impact on the ADA. By protecting the ADA and providing greater investments in ADA technical assistance and even more robust tax incentives or other similar mechanisms to assist businesses in complying with the law, we can ensure a more just and equitable society.”