ADA Alive and Kicking

Yesterday the U.S.Senate Passed the ADARestoration Act.

See this article at Civil Rights dot org:

http://www.civilrights.org/library/features/024-senate-adaaa.html

If you are a person with a disability or you’re a friend or family member of a pwd you will be disappointed by some of the compromises that came about during the long struggle to introduce, debate, and pass this legislation. Yet it is undeniably true that the act, which President Bush is expected to sign into law, will reinvigorate civil rights protections for people with disabilities who may experience discriminatory actions by employers or yes, even educators.

If you were channel surfing yesterday you would not have seen any coverage about this remarkable triumph of bi-partisanship.

But there it is.

I for one will be popping a cold bottle of Italian fizzy water.

S.K.

Comments

[Georgia Whitney]

This item fell below hurricane and politics, at least according to the media here in Buffalo. Too bad, but I'll pop some generic fizzy water, even if it is a day late.

[Wren]

Fizzy water poured and raised, and a toast offered: May we see more good legislation like this in the future in regards to people with disabilities! Hear, hear.

A question, though: I have a friend who, after a lifetime of personal horrors (including rape) became morbidly obese. Her weight problem finally caused other disabling problems, including osteoarthritis, an injured knee that put her on crutches, and then a back injury that now keeps her bedbound,unable to walk at all, and in the midst of all this, diabetes. Her health insurance company is refusing to help cover home care, physical therapy to help her recover the ability to walk, and a host of other things. Does this new legislation cover discrimination by the health care insurance industry? Is there other legislation in the works that might help my friend get her quality of life back?

Thanks for keeping us informed, Steve.