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House votes to ease enforcement of Americans with Disabilities Act against companieshttp://www.washingtonexaminer.com/house-votes-to-ease-enforcement-of-americans-with-disabilities-act-against-companies/article/2649192The House on Thursday passed legislation that would ease the enforcement of regulations against businesses that fail to be accessible to people with disabilities. The bill, the ADA Education and Reform Act, would change the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act to give businesses accused of being inaccessible a grace period to fix structural problems with their facilities before they can be sued. Under the law, businesses must abide by specific regulations so that people with disabilities, including people who use wheelchairs or walkers or have other impairments, are able to enter buildings and use various facilities. Republicans said during debate that the bill was necessary because lawsuits can cause small businesses to shut their doors. They said that some attorneys were taking advantage of the system through "drive-by lawsuits." The Americans with Disabilities Act, said Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., was "not intended to feed drive-by lawsuits and put good people out of business." ... Opponents said that regulators have made guidelines available about how businesses can comply with the law, but various Republicans pointed to gaps that might make it more difficult for them to seek information. Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Calif., said 70 percent of the businesses facing these lawsuits were owned by immigrants or minorities, and said some of the Spanish-language guidelines for accessibility had not been updated. ... |