Gary.L..Warren@f202.n381.z1.fidonet.org (Gary L. Warren) (06/29/90)
Index Number: 9004
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THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT HAS PASSED CONGRESS!
See Page Two
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A TRUE DESKTOP PUBLICATION!
disABILITY NEWS-letter
Number Six, Volume 1
June 1990
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disABILITY NEWS-letter is published in graphically printed and downloadable
ascii formats, and as often and as long as possible, by Gary L. Warren,
Editor and Publisher, 3306-A Moss Court, Midland, Texas 79707, (915)
697-0333. Designed to provide objective information and an opinion forum
about issues affecting the physically disabled community, this publication
welcomes art and prose submissions relevant to the subject as long as a
manuscript-sized, self-addressed stamped envelope accompanies each
contribution. Classified advertising is much needed and encouraged. Call or
write for rates.
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These computer bulletin board services carry past and present issues of
disABILITY NEWS-letter in their data libraries for downloading or buffer
capturing:
ARCAngel . . . . . . .806-797-6422
Health-Link BBS . . . 512-444-9908
LACE II . . . . . . . 806-792-3317
Lucid Dimensions . . .915-697-8543
Micro TechNet . . . . 806-742-2917
Phantom Mesa . . . . .915-682-6420
In addition, the data libraries of the disABILITIES Special Interest Group
(SIG) of the CompuServe Information Service (1-800-848-8990 for more
information) and the disABILITIES area of the Non-Profit Connection of the
GEnie Information Network (1-800-638-9636).
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Page One
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disABILITY NEWS-letter Number Six, Volume One June 1990
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United States House of Representatives Okays
THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT by 403-20
Hailing the legislation as a landmark move for civil liberties for the
nation's 43 million mentally and physically disabled, the United States House
of Representatives on May 22 ratified its version of THE AMERICANS WITH
DISABILITIES ACT.
"This is a significant and historical step forward for the disabled,"
Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-MD, said in a wire story by the United Press
International.
In general, the law would prohibit job discrimination by employers.
Privately owned outlets, such as restaurants and theaters, would be required
to provide accessible means to their buildings and services. Public
transportation systems must make new buses and rail cars
wheelchair-accessible within five to six years. And people with hearing
and/or speech deficiencies will be able to acquire special telephone
equipment.
The House also earlier passed four amendments to the ADA. According to
Stephanie Thomas, a user of the disability-oriented ABLED Echo computer
bulletin board system (bbs) network, these amendments would:
1. Enable small businesses with more than 10 but less than 25 employees
take two to two-and-a-half years to modify their present facilities;
2. If a job discrimination complaint is filed, permit employers to use a
written job description prior to application processes to specify the
"essential functions" of a position;
3. Permit persons using wheelchairs to access wilderness areas; and
4. Letting food-service employers transfer employees with communicable
and infectious diseases to other jobs.
The last amendment is based on a widespread fear among restaurant owners
and some state and federal legislators about the possibility of food
contamination by sufferers of Acquired Immunity Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
Commenting on the fourth amendment, Thomas said, "This . . . one is really
targeted at AIDS and is dumb from two perspectives. First AIDS is not
transmitted through food. Second the ADA already says that people with
infectious diseases which are transmitted through food can be moved from
food-handling jobs."
Two amendments were repealed. One by Rep. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.,
R-Wis., would have limited court-recovered monetary damages for job
discrimination plaintiffs. Another amendment by Rep. William Lipinski,
D-Ill., would have required transit companies to provide only one accessible
car per commuter train.
A House-Senate committee will smooth out the differences between the
House and Senate versions of the ADA. Shortly afterwards, President George
Bush is expected to sign the bill.
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Page Two
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disABILITY NEWS-letter Number Six, Volume One June 1990
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EDITORIAL
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A Thank You to the Congress!
Our United States House of Representatives is to be commended for its
political courage for overwhelming passing THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES
ACT May 22 in the face of intense lobbying by small business organizations
and transit firms.
As a logical extention of THE VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973,
which mainly affects the public sector, the ADA will go a long way to provide
more private sector employment and service access to the country's 43 million
mentally and physically handicapped.
In addition to thanking the entire House, I wish to offer my personal
appreciation to my Texas Republican congressmen Reps. Larry Combest and Lamar
Smith for sharing their information and opinions concerning the ADA. Combest
and his office, especially, were very helpful in providing me literally daily
updates about the House debates and other proceedings.
I also want to add my equally special, but somewhat belated, appreciation
to the offices of Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, D-TX, and Tom Harkin, D-IA, for
providing similar information during last year's U.S. Senate proceedings
about the ADA.
If signed by President George Bush, the ADA will not be a total panacea
for the barriers faced by the handicapped. In fact, most of its provisions
will not take full effect for several years. But the act will be a start in
providing the overdue remedies for employment and service accessibility into
shops, theaters and other private places of businesses.
Those of us handicapped are more than willing to advise small and large
businesses comply with the ADA regulations to make their facilities
barrier-free with as little cost as possible. All the firms need to do is
ask us. We hope they do.
Page Three
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disABILITY NEWS-letter Number Six, Volume One June 1990
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N E W S L E T T E R R E V I E W
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FIRST DIBS
FIRST DIBS, Inc.
P.O. Box 1285
Tuscon, Arizona 85702
FIRST DIBS (Disability Information Brokerage System) is an excellent
bi-monthly newsletter that provides brief, specific information about various
literature and other media about disabiliity-related subjects.
The most noteworthy aspect about this little eight-page newsletter is
that it's totally objective and gives the bare facts about what it covers,
whether books, audio products or pamphlets. Sort of like a bunch of small
press releases without the hype. The publication is, in fact, a
clearinghouse of what agencies and other companies publish or produce for
and/or about the handicapped.
Whether each item pertains to a book, tape or even a magazine article,
FIRST DIBS is the newsletter to use to keep up on a regular basis with
developments affecting the handicapped.
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