Congress Votes on H.R. 620 which impacts ADA kiosk
aka ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017
Update: The House passed the bill 2/15/2018 along party lines.
The ADA Education and Reform Act, or H.R.620, is slated to come up for a full vote in the U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday or Thursday. But detractors say the bill would gut the part of the landmark ADA law which requires public businesses to make accommodations allowing for ease of entry for people with disabilities.
Source: www.disabilityscoop.com
Something needs to be done about predatory lawyers for sure but this doesn’t do it. It basically drops the bar for companies a couple of notches and eliminates any legal action. Remains to be seen whether companies decide long term it is in their interest to deploy assistive infrastructure now, or later.
ADA lawsuits are already one of the lowest categories of lawsuits filed against businesses. The Center for American Progress has reported that the small uptick in ADA litigation can be attributed to “just 12 individual attorneys and a single disability law firm” which filed more than 100 cases each.
The likely outcome we predict is a vote along party lines in the house passes the bill and then it goes to the Senate where it will likely be blocked.
Another point of view: Seems it only adds a 180 window to the process of filing suit is all. You get 180 to make significant improvements. What determines significant vs. insignificant? So long as there is real money available through these lawsuits you’ll have trolls.
Full text of H.R. 620
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/620/text
ACLU Take on it
The entrance to the post office in a small town was up a flight of 20 steps. When told he needed to make the post office accessible to wheelchair users, the postmaster was befuddled. “I’ve been here for thirty-five years and in all that time I’ve yet to see a single customer come in here in a wheelchair,” he said, according to Joe Shapiro in his 1994 book, “No Pity.”
Tom Ridge R-PA Opinion piece from The Hill
Back in 1990, President Bush told the business community they hold in their hands the key to the success of the ADA, for it can “unlock a splendid resource of untapped human potential that, when freed, will enrich us all.” He characterized passage of the ADA as one of his proudest achievements. Let’s not undo that success.
TTom Ridge is founder and chairman of Ridge Global, as well as chair of theNational Organization on Disability, a position he has held since 2006. He was America’s first secretary of Homeland Security and the 43rd Governor of Pennsylvania.
Rep. Ted Poe R-TX (author of bill)
Passing H.R. 620 is good for all stakeholders. Simply having notice of claimed violations with a sufficient level of detail and the opportunity to cure within a limited time period prior to filing a lawsuit will eliminate the abusive tactics that have become commonplace.
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/judicial/373555-its-time-to-restore-the-integrity-of-the-ada
Wheelchair-bound protesters dragged out of congressional hearing
Feb. 13, 2018, 7:37 PM WASHINGTON — Demonstrators interrupting a hearing in the House Rules Committee to protest reforms to the Americans with Disabilities Act were arrested and dragged out of the room inside the US Capitol on Tuesday.
Why Congress is Close to Gutting Key Provision of ADA
Pacific Standard 2/14/18 — Unscrupulous lawyers are a problem, so let’s work on sanctioning them. As Dara Baldwin says, “You got bad apples, go after the bad apples!” What shouldn’t happen is a legislative assault, fueled by donations from retail groups, on the fundamental right to equal access for people with disabilities.
https://psmag.com/social-justice/congress-is-close-to-gutting-a-key-provision-of-the-ada
Big thanks to Steve Taylor of Taylor Stands for his help with this. Thanks Steve!
Taylor Stands makes patented ADA compliant POS assist device. People in wheelchairs can easily pull the terminal closer for easier and private access.