244 Representatives Cosponsor ADA Restoration Act of 2007

ADA Restoration Coverage

  

VIDEO: Steny Hoyer testifies at Oct. 4, 2007 ADA Restoration hearing.

Washington, DC — The Epilepsy Foundation and disability groups reached a significant milestone today with the announcement that 244 Representatives—a majority of the House of Representatives— have cosponsored HR 3195, the ADA Restoration Act of 2007.

Recent court decisions have dramatically limited the scope of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Many people who manage their condition with medication or other treatments are now viewed as too functional and are no longer protected by the ADA. HR 3195 will correct this injustice and restore the basic rights of all people who have any disability, including epilepsy.

“Since its passing in 1990, various judicial entities have diluted this landmark legislation, determining that they, better than Congress, know whom Congress intended to protect with this powerful piece of legislation,” said Tony Coelho, key author of the ADA and immediate past chair of the Epilepsy Foundation. “I firmly believe that the time is right to restore the ADA to its original intent and meaning.”

Today, at a hearing of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, advocates expressed similarly strong support for HR 3195 and urged Congress to swiftly make the bill a law. “Too many people have had their ADA claims dismissed,” said pharmacist Stephen Orr, who has type 1 diabetes. “Congress must restore the ADA to what it was intended to be — a comprehensive mandate to protect all Americans from discrimination based on disability.”

“Restoration of the ADA is a top priority for the Epilepsy Foundation,” said Eric R. Hargis, president and CEO of the Foundation. “This is critical for people with epilepsy who want to work and deserve their right to be fully included in the American work force.” Hargis urged people affected by epilepsy to contact their Representatives in Congress and urge support for HR 3915.

Hargis also commended House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Representatives John Conyers (D-MI), Lamar Smith (R-TX), James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Trent Franks (R-AZ) for their outstanding leadership in helping to recruit so many cosponsors and move this bill forward so quickly.

To learn more, visit our special section on the Americans with Disabilities Act.