Statement of the American Diabetes Association on U.S. Senate Hearing to Discuss the Americans with Disabilities Act
2008-07-15 11:28:00
ALEXANDRIA, VA–(EMWNews – July 15, 2008) – John Griffin, Jr., Esq., a member of the
American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) Board of Directors, issued the
following statement regarding a hearing held today, by the U.S. Senate’s
Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pension to determine the proper
scope of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“We applaud Chairman Edward Kennedy (D-Mass), Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY),
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), for demonstrating
their commitment to ending discrimination against people with disabilities
by holding today’s hearing to discuss the coverage of Americans with
diabetes and other serious illnesses under the Americans with Disabilities
Act. In doing so, this committee demonstrates that the Senate is concerned
about protecting Americans from discrimination based on conditions such as
diabetes. The Senate is considering amendments to the Americans with
Disabilities Act that would end the current Catch-22 in which people with
conditions like diabetes who work hard to manage their conditions are then
told that they have been so successful that they don’t qualify for
protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act even when they are
explicitly discriminated against because of their disease. Thus, today’s
hearing is a critical step on the road to insuring that people with
disabilities are judged on their own merit, which will be a great
accomplishment for all Americans.”
The American Diabetes Association has banded together with other disability
rights organizations and partners in the business community to urge
Congressional support for legislation that proposes changes to restore the
protections Congress originally intended when it passed this law in 1990,
but which have been eroded as a result of a series of Supreme Court
rulings.
The ADA is the nation’s leading voluntary health organization supporting
diabetes research, information and advocacy. The Association’s advocacy
efforts include helping to combat discrimination against people with
diabetes; advocating for the increase of federal diabetes research and
programs; and improved access to, and quality of, healthcare for people
with diabetes. The ADA’s mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to
improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. Founded in 1940, the
Association provides service to hundreds of communities across the country.
For more information please call the American Diabetes Association at
1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit www.diabetes.org. Information
from both these sources is available in English and Spanish.
Contact: Shana Starkand (703) 549-1500, ext. 2622 [email protected] |
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