Amendments Act restores the intent of the original ADA law to protect anyone with a disability, even if they take steps to mitigate their condition. |WASHINGTON ñ Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) applauded the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for issuing final regulations to implement the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, which passed both chambers of Congress by an overwhelming bipartisan vote. The ADA Amendments Act expanded the number of individuals covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), addressing several Supreme Court decisions that had sharply narrowed the scope of the original ADA and eliminated protections for people with a wide variety of impairments.
“I am delighted that EEOC has followed the same bipartisan approach to the regulations that we adopted in drafting the bill. These regulations take a common sense approach to implementing the legislation, which restores critical protections to millions of workers with disabilities whose rights were compromised by misguided Supreme Court interpretations,” said Chairman Harkin.
“As a lead co-sponsor of the ADA Amendments Act, I am pleased that the EEOC has issued final regulations today that will ensure all Americans with disabilities will be able to invoke the full protections provided under the ADA,” said Democratic Whip Hoyer. “The ADA Amendments Act restored the intent of the original ADA law to protect anyone with a disability, even if they take steps to mitigate their condition. The regulations issued today uphold the law and open the doors of opportunity to everyone.”
