07/ 25/ 2008
Department of Justice Solicits Comments on Proposed Amendments
July 26 marks the 18th anniversary of a critical milestone in our nation's history--the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Signed in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush, this landmark civil rights law guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications.
The ADA requires that public, commercial, and state and local government facilities be accessible for people with disabilities. Small business owners in particular are proud of the commitment they have made to accommodate the disabled. Since the passage of the ADA, NFIB members have spent millions of dollars on their businesses to remove barriers and provide accessible public accommodations.
The overall goal of the ADA is to make America's communities and workplaces more inclusive and welcoming to the nearly 50 million people with disabilities in this country. From a business perspective, such inclusiveness can offer advantages in both the workplace and the marketplace.
Recently, the Department of Justice (DOJ) solicited comments on proposed amendments to the ADA. The proposed amendments are intended to implement revised guidelines established by the Access Board, an independent federal government agency dedicated to improving accessibility for people with disabilities.
NFIB has been closely monitoring the amendment process and appreciates that DOJ has attempted to lessen some burdens associated with the ADA on small business. Nevertheless, NFIB has significant concerns about the costs and complexity associated with the amendments. At a public hearing on the proposed amendments, Karen Harned, executive director, National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Legal Center, urged DOJ to reevaluate what the actual costs associated with complying with the proposed amendments would be for small business. NFIB will be submitting comments further detailing its concerns.
It is important for businesses to stay abreast of these proposed changes to the ADA because they may require business owners to make modifications to their places of business.
For further information about how people with disabilities can contribute to a company's success, visit DisabilityInfo.gov. This Web site, managed by the Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, provides information on employing people with disabilities, job accommodations, and businesses' rights and responsibilities under the ADA, as well as information about other laws that protect the rights of people with disabilities. To receive email updates from DisabilityInfo.gov, visit https://service.govdelivery.com/service/subscribe.html?code=USODEP_221.
More information about the ADA and the proposed amendments can be found at www.ada.gov, the Department of Justice's ADA home page.
