TDI is extremely concerned with the recent developments on Capitol Hill for the proposed ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017 (H.R. 620). This proposed HR 620 bill is expected to come to a vote on the House floor this Thursday (February 15)! It is crucial that we have as many TDI members and friends to send word to their Members of Congress on why this bill will harm people with disabilities.
Below is the call for action from our sister national consumer advocacy organization, National Association of the Deaf, along with convenient details for your participation, in the campaign to oppose this proposed legislation. You will find the instructions easy to use. Our other friend in Washington, D.C. – the American Association of People with Disabilities is asking for your help as well. In advance, thank you for your support. Together, we must make our joint voice heard!
Sincerely,
Claude Stout
Executive Director
Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc. (TDI)
We need your help. The House of Representatives is expected to vote on ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017 (H.R. 620) this week. You need to tell your Representatives that this bill would seriously weaken the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); any attack on the ADA is a threat to our civil rights! As a refresher, watch Howard’s AHA from April 2017 sharing how this bill attacks our rights.
Would you want to go to a bank, a restaurant, or a hospital, and be told that you could not get in until you send a letter first, explaining why they are not accessible and give them time to find a way to let you into their facility? We should not wait to be able to access a bank, a restaurant, or especially a hospital! If this bill passes, those businesses and other places that are not yet accessible will not comply with the ADA until someone sends a letter explaining why they are not accessible. These businesses and other places should already be accessible.
YOU MUST DO SOMETHING: a letter template is available in Word to download (check your download folder for the file) or you can copy/paste from here. Find your Representative here. We cannot allow Congress to attack this bill – tell your Representative to vote NO on HR 620. #StopHR620 #HandsOffMyADA #protectADA
From the National Association of the Deaf