URGENT: Americans: Trump & R's are trying to change the ADA

[HappyPoet]

Please call your Congressman/woman and ask them to vote "NO" on this ADA measure. The proposed changes have already passed the committee and will next be voted on by the full Congress. The biggest draconian change will allow companies not to have to provide accessible facilities as they must do now. It will force disabled people to justify why/how a business should provide accessibility and give the business six months to make any changes the business deems necessary. Passage will make employment and shopping and seeking medical care much harder if not impossible for many. Thank you.

[ElliotB]

FAKE NEWS!


The bill is sponsored by Texas representative Ted Poe, a Republican, along with two Republicans and three Democrats.

The goal of HR 620 is apparently to “curb frivolous lawsuits filed by cash-hungry attorneys and plaintiffs that abuse the ADA."

"The biggest draconian change will allow companies not to have to provide accessible facilities as they must do now"
Sorry this is simply not true.

The bottom line is that most businesses are in compliance with the ADA and most lawsuits against businesses (not all of course) are fake ones (no surprise there!) and those companies that are not in compliance should be forced to comply and HR 620 will not change that.

The bottom line is that frivolous lawsuits make products and services more expensive for everyone.

[1eye]

Lawsuits are not frivolous, especially those in favour of the disabled. The myth that there are a lot of frivolous lawsuits is just that: a myth. Do you think disabled people have time or money to waste on contingency suits? Legislators have better things to do. If they want to be reelected they'd better start doing them.

FAKE NEWS!
The bill is sponsored by Texas representative Ted Poe, a Republican, along with two Republicans and three Democrats.

The goal of HR 620 is apparently to “curb frivolous lawsuits filed by cash-hungry attorneys and plaintiffs that abuse the ADA."

"The biggest draconian change will allow companies not to have to provide accessible facilities as they must do now"
Sorry this is simply not true.

The bottom line is that most businesses are in compliance with the ADA and most lawsuits against businesses (not all of course) are fake ones (no surprise there!) and those companies that are not in compliance should be forced to comply and HR 620 will not change that.

The bottom line is that frivolous lawsuits make products and services more expensive for everyone.

[centenarian100]

relax Elliot and 1eye. This is not a forum for political debate. We are supposed to support each other.

[1eye]

relax Elliot and 1eye. This is not a forum for political debate. We are supposed to support each other.

So what are you doing in this topic? Relax: I'm relaxed, maybe you should relax more. Have to go to bed now. After I watch Stephen Colbert... Sativex and quetiapine should do the trick...

[NHE]

Lawsuits are not frivolous

Some are. In my opinion, the lawsuit against Costco for calling their coconut oil "healthy" is certainly a fine example. https://www.kirklandcoconutoilsettlement.com/

It leads me to ponder the question, "Do these people have nothing better to do?"

[1eye]

Lawsuits are not frivolous

Some are. In my opinion, the lawsuit against Costco for calling their coconut oil "healthy" is certainly a fine example. https://www.kirklandcoconutoilsettlement.com/

It leads me to ponder the question, "Do these people have nothing better to do?"

Their lawyers don't. The poor woman who was scalded by MacDonalds' coffee is often cited as an example of frivolous lawsuits, but the most cursory look at that case will show how wronged she was, and how wrong MacDonalds was. Conservatives who fight this FAKE battle in legislatures should be ashamed of themselves.

[1eye]

Lawsuits are not frivolous

Some are. In my opinion, the lawsuit against Costco for calling their coconut oil "healthy" is certainly a fine example. https://www.kirklandcoconutoilsettlement.com/

It leads me to ponder the question, "Do these people have nothing better to do?"

This was not a lawsuit in complaint about treatment of disabled people. Costco advertises to everyone equally, regardless of race, creed, or challenge.

This settlement does very little for the consumer: it would be punative if Costco gave a rat's tootie. Have you received your share of the settlement? I bet the lawyers got paid.

[AndThenMS]

ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017

This bill requires the Disability Rights Section of the Department of Justice to develop a program to educate state and local governments and property owners on strategies for promoting access to public accommodations for persons with a disability. The program may include training for professionals to provide a guidance of remediation for potential violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).

The bill prohibits civil actions based on the failure to remove an architectural barrier to access into an existing public accommodation unless: (1) the aggrieved person has provided to the owners or operators a written notice specific enough to identify the barrier, and (2) the owners or operators fail to provide the person with a written description outlining improvements that will be made to improve the barrier or they fail to remove the barrier or make substantial progress after providing such a description. The aggrieved person's notice must specify: (1) the address of the property, (2) the specific ADA sections alleged to have been violated, (3) whether a request for assistance in removing an architectural barrier was made, and (4) whether the barrier was permanent or temporary.

The Judicial Conference of the United States must develop a model program to promote alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to resolve such claims. The model program should include an expedited method for determining relevant facts related to such barriers and steps to resolve accessibility issues before litigation.

[AndThenMS]

I'm all for big business
The really need to make more money, and if it's at the expense of sick people, so be it.

Does anyone really think changes to the ADA will make it better
I'm all my years, I have yet to see any legislation come after something passed that's helped people that makes it better.
Congress and the health care changes.
Great for people that aren't sick
A death sentence for many others

Frivolous lawsuits

My suggestion is get over the fear that people are scamming and getting over on you and that's why your life sucks
I would rather help one old lady that desparately needs help than worry about rich people getting away with something

You can always make the system better, but not by tearing away protections

This past year has all been an assault on the least able people to help themselves.


Serious, how many MSers have to confidence to go to a job, if they even have one let alone are not under constant watch cause they can barely get through the day are going to hire attorneys to give whats left of their job a hard time

Money, are you kidding
It's been a long time since I cared about money
Outside of food to eat
Am I going on vacation when it takes everything to leave the house
Most of us are pretty close to just wanting a way out
Money doesn't help when all you have all day is pain, being dizzy, too tired to walk if you even can get up


Frivolous lawsuits

[1eye]

I'm from Canada. I live in its capital. I had to go through exactly what this bill requires a disabled person to do. Only all the work was done by my wife. If it were not for her, it never would have been done. Instead of lightening the burden of disability, this bill requires a disabled person to do an impossible amount of work, or at least have enough money to pay a lawyer to do it. The American law currently provides for contingency fees, which is the only way most disabled people will ever be able to afford a lawyer. Does this bill remove the possibility of contingency fees? If so, it is a step in the wrong direction. Requiring the Justice people to take more courses won't help add a door-opening device to an impassible door or change a set of steps into a ramp.