News Release
NCD #00-295
June 27, 2000
Contact: Mark S. Quigley
202-272-2004
202-272-2074 TTY
mquigley@ncd.gov
National Council on Disability Says Lack of Coherent
Federal Agency Strategy Has Taken its Tolls on the Americans with
Disabilities Act
WASHINGTON--The National Council on Disability (NCD)
has concluded that the overall impact of the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) has been seriously diminished by a lack of sufficient
leadership in developing a vision for ADA enforcement across the
various federal agencies. NCD's conclusions regarding weak federal
enforcement of ADA are contained in its report, Promises to Keep:
A Decade of Federal Enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities
Act.
"Although federal government agencies were well-intentioned
and spoke in support of ADA," said NCD Chairperson Marca Bristo,
"NCD's firm conclusion is that chronic under-funding and under-staffing
of responsible agencies, undue caution, and the absence of a coherent
strategy have undermined federal enforcement of ADA in its first
decade."
NCD also concluded that:
- Although Congress has recently increased funding
for some agencies' ADA enforcement activities, the long period
of inadequate funding by Congress has taken its toll on ADA.
- The Department of Justice has not exercised enough
oversight in tracking Title II complaints, and other agencies
have not sufficiently cooperated with Justice in preparing and
referring cases that would advance the interpretation of ADA.
NCD's recommendations include the development of robust
and assertive leadership by the Department of Justice in developing
a coherent national strategy for enforcement in implementing ADA
and strengthening ADA discrimination complaint handling by the departments
of Justice and Transportation, the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission, and the ADA Title II referral agencies.
"We believe that with sufficient resources and a uniform
federal agency plan to implement and enforce the ADA, the nation
will benefit substantially," said Ms. Bristo. "We consider Promises
to Keep to be the blueprint for the incoming Administration."
NCD is an independent federal agency representing
all people with disabilities, regardless of severity, from all cultural
backgrounds. NCD makes recommendations to the President and Congress
on disability policy. For more information, contact Mark S. Quigley
at 202-272-2008 or visit NCD's award-winning Web site (http://www.ncd.gov).
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