Your Help Is Needed

Urge Your Senators to Co-Sponsor the ADA Restoration Act!!

The grassroots have been making quite a roar in the House since the summer, raising support for ADA Restoration. With the Senate hearing scheduled for this Thursday on ADA Restoration, it's time to let the Senate hear from the disability community as well about the importance of restoring the promise of the ADA.

ACTION NEEDED: Call your Senators and the Senators from the HELP Committee TODAY and urge them to co-sponsor the ADA Restoration Act (S. 1881). For those on the HELP Committee, also urge them to attend the ADA Restoration hearing on Thursday. Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

To identify your state's Senators, go to: www.senate.gov. A list of the Senate HELP Committee Members is listed below. (Note, some of them may have already signed up as cosponsors. If you call and discover this, simply thank them for their co-sponsorship and urge them to attend the hearing on Thursday if they are on the HELP Committee).

It's important that this bill show bipartisan support, like the original ADA did, so please help with outreach to the Republican Members of the HELP Committee in particular.
Senate HELP Committee Members:

Republicans:Michael B. Enzi (WY), Ranking MemberJudd Gregg (NH)Lamar Alexander (TN)Richard Burr (NC)Johnny Isakson (GA)Lisa Murkowski (AK)Orrin G. Hatch (UT)Pat Roberts (KS)Wayne Allard (CO)Tom Coburn (OK)

Democrats:Edward M. Kennedy (MA), ChairChristopher J. Dodd (CT)Tom Harkin (IA) - original sponsorBarbara A. Mikulski (MD)Jeff Bingaman (NM)Patty Murray (WA)Jack Reed (RI)Hillary Rodham Clinton (NY)Barack Obama (IL)Sherrod Brown (OH)
WHAT TO SAY:

Model Script for Senators on the HELP Committee:
"Hi. My name is_______ and I live in ________. I want Senator______ to cosponsor the ADA Restoration Act of 2007, and I want him/her to attend the Senate HELP Committee hearing this Thursday at 2:00 pm. Seventeen years ago, the ADA was passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, yet people with disabilities are still being treated unfairly. People with disabilities are in a no-win situation. Employers can say that I am "too disabled" to perform my job, but "not disabled enough" to be protected by the ADA if I'm discriminated against. This is wrong! Please restore the ADA and restore my civil rights! Please tell Senator _______ to cosponsor S.1881.
Model Script for Senators (Generic):
"Hi. My name is_______ and I live in ________. I want Senator______ to cosponsor the ADA Restoration Act of 2007. Seventeen years ago, the ADA was passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, yet people with disabilities are still being treated unfairly. People with disabilities are in a no-win situation. Employers can say that I am "too disabled" to perform my job, but "not disabled enough" to be protected by the ADA if I'm discriminated against. This is wrong! Please restore the ADA and restore my civil rights! Please tell Senator _______ to cosponsor S. 1881.
BACKGROUND:For background information on the need for ADA Restoration and on the bill itself, visit the AAPD ADA Restoration blog.SOURCE: AAPD