This Thursday, 2/15, the House of Representatives will vote on The ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017 (HR 620).
HR 620 would change how architectural barriers are removed, making It harder to hold the building community and design community accountable to federal law. Experience has shown us in the disability community that it often takes a tough stand to get building owners to pay attention to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Currently, if you experience a barrier, you have the option to take the owner to court to force remediation.
Under HR 620, if you ran into an ADA barrier, you would be required to write a letter to the building owner, who would have 60 days to respond to you. Then, the owner would have 120 additional days to begin to address it. No other minority group has to wait 180 days to begin to get barrier removal started!
What can you do?
Contact Representative Doug Lamborn before Thursday, 2/15 to let him know your thoughts and how you hope to see him vote. Call his local office (719) 520-0055 or write to him. Be sure to give your name and zip code in your message. You can also call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Congressional Representative.