Press Release - Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
Senate Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Amend the Americans with Disabilities Act
Statement of Nancy Zirkin, Executive Vice President of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
For Immediate Release
Contact: Scott Westbrook Simpson, 202.466.2061, simpson@civilrights.org
August 1, 2008
“LCCR commends Senate members for their overwhelming bipartisan support that will ensure that all Americans enjoy the same rights in the workplace— guaranteeing them the same opportunity as all workers to participate in the American dream.
We urge Congress to act swiftly and pass the ADA Amendments Act and get it on the desk of President Bush so he can sign it posthaste.
The ADA Amendments Act is the most significant civil rights bill of the 110th Congress. This act will correct narrow court interpretations that have restricted ADA coverage in the workplace, and taken away coverage for people with diabetes, epilepsy, serious heart conditions, mental disabilities, and even cancer.
In this era of partisan politics, the dramatic convergence of the business, disability and broader civil rights communities is a testament to the importance of this legislation to diverse constituencies as well as the power of coalition politics.”
###
The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) is the nation’s oldest, largest, and most diverse civil and human rights coalition. For more information on LCCR and its nearly 200 member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org
