Disability Advocates Say ADA Needs to Get Back on Track
Feature Story by civilrights.org staff - 12/15/2004
A series of negative Supreme Court decisions has derailed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) from its core objectives, according to a new report by the National Council on Disability (NCD), the organization that first proposed an ADA."Righting the ADA" analyzes the decisions it calls "out of step with the congressional, executive, and public consensus in support of ADA objectives" and their resulting impact on people with disabilities.
NCD Chairperson Lex Frieden said in statement that "the provisions of the ADA that have been narrowed by Court rulings currently do not provide the same scope of opportunities and protections expressed by those involved in the creation and passage of the ADA."
The Court rulings analyzed by the two-year study involve, among other things, problematic interpretations of the definition of "disability"; limitations on ADA remedies; and limitations on reasonable accommodations.
The NCD is an independent federal agency charged with gathering information about the implementation, effectiveness, and impact of the ADA.
