ADA update passed in House

The Michigan Daily reports that the House of Representatives has passed a bill to update the ADA and how employers treat the disabled. This bill expands the definition of what a disability is and requires that accommodations be made, even for employees that have disabilities that can be mitigated in other ways. Exiting ADA rules require that employers require "reasonable accommodations" where the updates rules require helpers for disabled employees and expanded adjustments to work areas with specialized equipment. It also defines a disability as anything that "materially restricts" a "major life activity" including thinking and communicating.

This bill is in response to judges that have been attacking the ADA with crazy lawsuit changes. Because of many losses in the court, the ADA has been greatly diminished in the workplace by making it all but impossible to show that you are disabled. Because almost everyone finds it impossible to "prove" they are disabled, companies find that they don’t have to follow the ADA or say the employee is "too disabled" to work. At that point the employee is fired and an able bodied worker is hired. So the ADA law has degenerated into a weapon that companies routinely use against their workers to get rid of them or force out concessions.

The ADA was passed to help the disabled gain employment and keep it. Workers must make reasonable changes so the person can do their job and it isn’t unreasonable to help your workers become better employees. Of course some companies believe it is an "us vs. them" and routinely nuke workers that they feel are not working out. Make life so difficult that it is impossible to work at the company. The new rules outline exactly what is a disability so the courts cannot take away the right of a person to work.

If you haven’t looked over this new bill yet, now is the time to make sure it looks good to you. After all your congressmen and senators work for you so make sure the bill is what you want. If we don’t complain and become part of the solution then we deserve whatever comes down the pike. Democrac¥ means that we all have to work to make it succeed. Letting someone else make your decisions for you always ends in disaster.