Reuters/New York Times:

The Senate Thursday passed a major civil rights bill that would expand protections against discrimination for people with disabilities. The measure has been promoted by a broad coalition of disability rights and business groups in the wake of a series of Supreme Court decisions that have severely narrowed the law’s definition of disability.

The legislation would expand the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was signed in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush. It was passed on a voice vote without dissent, and is substantially similar to a bill that passed the House in June on a vote of 402-17. Minor differences between the two bills are expected to be resolved quickly.

“This is the most important piece of disability legislation since the enactment of the A.D.A. in 1990, and we are close enough to the finish line that we can see over,” said Andrew Imparato, the American Association of People with Disabilities president.

The 1990 law was designed to give people with disabilities an equal crack at employment, public services and accommodations, but a series of Supreme Court decisions beginning in the late 1990s narrowed the definition of disability. As a result, people who have a chronic disease but manage their illness well aren’t considered disabled and therefore aren’t covered by the law — even if an employer fires or refuses to hire them because of their condition.

Earlier posts here and here.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 12th, 2008 at 4:05 am and is filed under ADA, discrimination, employment/jobs, law, NOT2BEMISSED, politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.