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The changes involve the American with Disabilities Act, or ADA, signed into law by the first President Bush in 1990. That civil rights law told local governments and certain businesses to make changes so that disabled people, such as those in wheelchairs, can gain access to their buildings.
The proposed law being considered by the House – the Americans with Disabilities Act Restoration Act of 2007 – would expand the definition of disabled to include, for example, someone who uses a hearing aid.
The Department of Justice, the part of the executive branch that enforces federal laws, is also proposing new guidelines to better enforce the ADA laws. Those changes could affect more than seven million businesses and government agencies, the New York Times reported.
Law would expand rights
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Disability advocates said the Supreme Court made the definition
of being disabled narrower than the original 1990 ADA
intended. |
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According to the U.S. census, 51 million Americans are disabled and the Justice Department estimates that two percent of adults will use wheelchairs and four percent will use crutches or canes by 2010, the Times reported.
The American Civil Liberties Union, a group that focuses on protecting civil rights, said that in the 18 years since the original law was passed, the Supreme Court has narrowed the definition of "disabled" so that it no longer protects enough people.
"It is time to fix the problems created by the Supreme Court. The ADA Restoration Act would reestablish Congress' original intent in passing the ADA and restore the Act to its place as one of our country's great civil rights laws," ACLU Legislative Counsel Joanne Lin said in a press release.
Public spaces could be more accessible
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New Bush administration guidelines, if approved, could
force large stadiums to post scoreboard messages for people
who are hearing impaired. |
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The Bush administration has also been considering a series of changes in how it instructs other parts of the government to enforce federal disability law.
These new guidelines would force certain buildings or areas to have ramps or signs that make it easier for disabled people.
Under the proposed rule changes, courtrooms will need to have a ramp or lift to allow people in wheelchairs to reach the witness stand, sports stadiums must have scoreboard messages that inform people who have hearing problems of safety information and miniature golf courses would need to have at least half of the holes wheelchair accessible.
Disagreement over rule changes
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Groups representing the disabled and business groups are
at odds about how to change federal guidelines for enforcing
the ADA law. |
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While some of the rule
changes sound simple, the fine print has drawn criticism.
Curtis L. Decker of the National Disability Rights Network told
the Times that exemptions for small businesses would force them
to improve their workplaces, but not make them fully accessible.
On the other side, a group that represents American businesses
said the rule changes are too complicated and expensive.
"(The rule changes) are so long and technically complex
that even the best-intentioned small business could be found
out of compliance by a clever lawyer looking to force a settlement,"
United States Chamber of Commerce vice president Randel K. Johnson
told the Times. |
Both performances were incredibly underwhelming, and offered no real reason for Americans to change their votes. Neither candidate seemed willing to go out on a limb to garner support.
