ADA Advocates Needed
The ADA is landmark legislation that was passed over 27 years ago to ensure that people with disabilities have equal access. Next week, on Wednesday, February 14 or Thursday, February 15, the House of Representatives may vote on H.R. 620, a dangerous bill that strips away the civil rights of people with disabilities. Join the disability, civil rights, and progressive communities to fight this terrible bill.
H.R. 620, the so-called “ADA Education and Notification Act of 2017,” says that businesses no longer have to be proactive and make sure that they are accessible to people with disabilities. Instead, they can remain inaccessible until a person with a disability who has been denied access jumps through multiple hoops to notify a business that it is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and then waits, and waits, up to 6 months or longer for the business to make “progress” in fixing the problem before he/she can see the doctor, or buy a cake, or eat at a restaurant with friends. This bill is a travesty and upends the intent and purpose of the ADA. No other individuals protected by our civil rights laws are treated this way and bear this burden. It is unacceptable.
Help us tell this Congress that the civil rights of people with disabilities will not be bargained away.
Help save the ADA. Email, Tweet, write to protect the Civil Rights of people with disabilities.
Days of Action
Help defeat H.R. 620 in the House of Representatives. Make our voice heard by advocating against this bill.
- On Friday, February 9- Monday, February 12,
- send EMAIL ACTIONS urging members of the House to VOTE NO on H.R. 620;
- On Monday, February 12,
- participate in the Save The ADA CALL IN DAY and tell your representative to VOTE NO on H.R. 620;
- On Tuesday, February 13,
- let’s get on SOCIAL MEDIA (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) and post your opposition to HR 620 all day long
- #HandsOffMyADA, #StopHR620, #CripTheVote;
- Any day, send a letter of opposition to HR 620 to all House offices;
- On the day of the vote (possibly Wednesday or Thursday), please CALL and TWEET all day and tell members of the House to VOTE NO!
Tools to Advocate
Download a list of resources and our tool kit of sample tweets, template action alerts, phone scripts, graphics, etc. Feel free to modify and brand to suit your needs.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Heather Ansley from Paralyzed Veterans of America at HeatherA@pva.org, Jennifer Mathis from the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law at jenniferm@bazelon.org, or Vania Leveille from the ACLU, vleveille@aclu.org.
It has been 27 years since the passage of the ADA and yet people with disabilities still face enormous barriers. This bill will only make things worse, not better.
