Tell Congress: don’t delay our civil rights!

A notebook that says "The Americans with Disabilities Act" on the front

Businesses have had 27 years to come into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the civil rights law which requires businesses to be accessible to people with disabilities. But some of them still want a pass on excluding disabled people. Right now, Members of Congress and corporate lobbyists are pushing H.R. 620, a bill that weakens the ADA. We need to push back: contact your Members of Congress and let them know that our civil rights don’t come with a waiting period.

The House could vote on H.R. 620 as soon as this week. This bill:

  • Lets businesses avoid fixing access barriers for up to four months after receiving a complaint – even though the ADA’s access requirements are already 27 years old!
  • Ignores the fact that the ADA is the most important civil rights law for people with disabilities.
  • Ignores the extensive, free educational resources already available today to any business on how to comply with the law.

You can find contact information for your two Senators, and your Congressional Representative, at contactingcongress.org. Here’s a script you can use to call, write, or email:

Script for calling your U.S. Representative
My name is [Name], and I live in [your town]. I’m [calling/writing] to ask Representative [Name] to vote NO on H.R. 620. People with disabilities need to be able to shop for groceries, stay at hotels, and use other public accommodations. It has been 27 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act. Disabled people in our district have waited too long for access – and businesses have had plenty of time to provide it. Please protect the ADA and vote NO on H.R. 620.

Script for calling your U.S. Senator
My name is [Name], and I live in [your town]. I’m [calling/writing] to ask Senator [Name] to oppose a Senate version of H.R. 620. People with disabilities need to be able to shop for groceries, stay at hotels, and use other public accommodations. It has been 27 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act. Disabled people in our state have waited too long for access – and businesses have had plenty of time to provide it. Please protect the ADA and vote NO on any Senate version of H.R. 620.
 We cannot allow Congress to start chipping away at the ADA. Make sure your Members of Congress know that you expect them to stand up for disability rights. Nothing about us, without us!