18th ADA Anniversary Celebrated By Disability Advocates Determined To Strengthen Landmark Civil Rights Legislation

OKLAHOMA CITY – Today [July 26] is the 18th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This landmark civil rights legislation prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in employment, public services, public accommodations, transportation and telecommunications.

In Oklahoma, 635,170 people ages five and over have disabilities that may qualify for ADA protection, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s “American Community Survey 2006.” This figure doesn’t include 31,214 individuals living in nursing homes and institutions for the chronically ill.

The report indicates that 383,676 work-age Oklahomans have some type of disability with an employment rate of 38.4% compared to 75.3% among people without disabilities.

In recent years, a series of U.S. Supreme Court decisions narrowed coverage and anti-discrimination protections under the ADA, allowing employers to say a person is “too disabled” to do the job, but not “disabled enough” to be protected by the ADA.

“The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3195, which is the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments of 2008, also known as the ADA Restoration Act, on June 25th,” said Jean Jones, legislative information representative for the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS).

Oklahoma representatives voted unanimously for the bill, which was approved by a House floor vote of 402 to 17.

“The legislation would restore ADA coverage for people whose disabilities are mitigated by use of medicine, assistive devices, prosthetics and similar means and provide clarity for the definition of conditions that qualify as a disability under the ADA,” Jones explained.

Disability advocates have now shifted their attention to the U.S. Senate, which is expected to modify S. 1881, the Senate's ADA Restoration bill, to match the House version. They tried, but were unable to get Senate passage of that legislation before the ADA anniversary was celebrated today [July 26th].

Over 300 national and state organizations from a broad coalition of business, disability, civil rights, faith-related, veterans and other groups have signed a letter, which will be sent to every U.S. senator to demonstrate widespread support for the ADA Amendments Act 0f 2008.

“The Americans with Disabilities Act has directly benefitted Oklahomans with disabilities, employers and taxpayers by helping qualified people with disabilities go to work and participate fully in their communities,” Department of Rehabilitation Services Director Linda Parker said. “Working Oklahomans with disabilities become taxpayers who no longer rely on disability benefits and social services. They have a better quality of life and more disposable income, which is great for their communities and our state as a whole.”

The Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) provides rehabilitation, employment and educational services for Oklahomans with disabilities. The agency also helps employers recruit qualified employees with disabilities and advises on workplace accessibility, assistive technology and tax incentives for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

For information on services, visit the “DRS Online” at www.okdrs.gov or call 1-800-845-8476. The number is accessible by telecommunications equipment for the deaf.

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