Congress Holds Hearing on the Americans With Disabilities Act
Learn more about the effect the ADA has had on people with disabilities and where there is room for improvement.
The Arc, an advocacy group protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities, reported that Congress held a hearing on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). See below for the details.
The ADA, passed in July 1990, prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. It has transformed the way America treats individuals with disabilities...but there’s still a long way to go to make sure everyone with a disability has the same opportunities as everyone else.
For more information on the ADA, visit this website.
- On Wednesday, October 20, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties held a hearing called “Oversight of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990: The Current State of Integration of People with Disabilities.” You can watch it here.
- While the hearing discussed ways that the ADA has changed access for people with disabilities, many witnesses spoke about ways people with disabilities still face discrimination in employment and voting. One witness expressed the need for clearer guidelines for small businesses about how to make their locations and services accessible.
- Chairman Steve Cohen (D-TN) stated, “While the nation has made progress in the last 31 years toward achieving the ADA’s goals of ending discrimination against–and segregation of–people with disabilities, the law has yet to achieve its full promise. Indeed, we could devote numerous hearings to many different aspects of the ADA and the various remaining barriers that prevent disabled persons from enjoying the full blessings of American life.”