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GUEST: Andrew Imparato, President and CEO of American Association of People with Disabilities, the largest national nonprofit cross-disability member organization in the United States

The House of Representatives recently overwhelmingly passed an amendment expanding the 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act. Businesses partnered with disability rights organizations in writing the compromise bill which now heads to the Senate. Ambiguous language in the original bill had been used to justify a number of recent Supreme Court decisions against persons with disabilities. The ADA Restoration Act of 2007 is aimed at restoring the true intention of the ADA. Among other things, the proposed legislation would prohibit the courts from considering what are called “mitigating measures” like prescription drugs, hearing aids, or eye-glasses, in making a determination as to whether a person has a disability. House Democratic leader, Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, who is the chief sponsor of the bill characterized the absurdity of the current law, saying: “An individual may be considered too disabled by an employer to get a job, but not disabled enough by the courts to be protected by the ADA from discrimination.”

There will be a Presidential candidates forum on July 26th on Columbus, Ohio, to which all candidates have been invited. More information is available at www.aapd.com.