Take Action: Chamber of Commerce Opposes ADA Restoration!!

Take Action: Chamber of Commerce Opposes ADA Restoration!!

Dear Advocates,

On Tuesday, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world's largest 
business federation, in a letter addressed to the Members of the 
U.S. House of Representatives, went on record as opposing the ADA 
Restoration Act of 2007 (H.R. 3195) and urging Members not to co-
sponsor or show support of the bill. The Chamber's letter 
mischaracterizes the ADA Restoration Act as an expansion of the 
ADA, when in fact, it is, as its name suggests, a restoration of 
the original intent of Congress when passing the ADA in 1990, 
which was to create a level playing field for everyone who wants a 
job to have an equal opportunity to work. Just like other civil 
rights laws prohibit employers from basing decisions on 
characteristics like race or sex, Congress wanted the ADA to stop 
employers from making decisions based on disability. 

However, that original, bipartisan, bicameral intent has since 
been distorted by the Courts through extremely narrow 
interpretations of the ADA. The employment rate of people with 
disabilities has not improved and two-thirds of people with 
disabilities who do not have a job indicate they would work if 
they could only find employment. What's more, for those fortunate 
enough to find jobs, Courts are deciding against people with 
disabilities who challenge disability discrimination 97% of the 
time, often before the person with a disability even has a chance 
to show that the employer treated them unfairly! 

The Chamber argues that they "strongly support equal opportunity 
in employment" yet they adamantly oppose H.R. 3195 which seeks to 
make equal opportunities for people with disabilities possible! 

TAKE ACTION!!

React directly to the Chamber regarding their opposition to ADA 
Restoration by writing or calling the Chamber of Commerce at: 

U.S. Chamber of Commerce
1615 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20062-2000
Main Number: 202-659-6000
Customer Service: 1-800-638-6582

Send your complaints to the regional Chamber offices, too. To 
determine contact information for the regional office nearest you, 
go to:
http://www.uschamber.com/about/contact/regional.htm

To read the letter the Chamber of Commerce sent to the U.S. House 
of Representatives, go to:
http://www.aapd.com/News/adainthe/070827uscc.htm

SOURCE: AAPD
_________________________________________________________________

For more ADA Restoration News, see:
http://www.aapd.com/News/adainthe/indexada_restore.php

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