Help save the ADA! Don't let Congress destroy our disabled people's rights! Chris Haulmark explains how H.R. 620 will destroy our accessibility rights, and tells how to contact Congress to vote NO!

Transcription:

[Video Description: Chris Haulmark is standing in the kitchen wearing blue short-sleeved and button-up shirt.]

Hello everyone!

I am Chris Haulmark, running for U.S. House of Representatives for Kansas’s Third Congressional District!

I am extremely concerned about a bill recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives: H.R. 620, which is titled "ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017."

H.R. 620 was proposed at the beginning of this year, and recently got opened on the floor for discussion and vote.

HR 620 must be completely destroyed!! STOP THIS BILL NOW!

Everyone’s help is needed to support all of our disability groups advocating for Americans with disabilities.

Here’s an overview: First, HR 620 fundamentally changes the much acclaimed American with Disabilities Act (ADA) signed into law in 1990.

How does H.R. 620 disastrously change the ADA?

First, let’s discuss the Americans with Disabilities Act’s purpose.

The ADA was legislated in 1990 to give Americans with disabilities the right to access to everyday life in our society: government, business & organizations, and educational institutions, along with many other barrier-creating entities.

ADA tremendously helped so many disabled people by giving them the ability to accomplish so much in their lives.

Got that?

Yet even today, there are still difficulties with numerous businesses, organizations, and parts of the government comply with ADA enforcements.

These businesses and organizations often disregard ADA requirements or allow the accessibility barriers to happen again and again.

That noncompliance is fully upon these entities.

Conversely, there are many businesses in America and in Kansas which do to comply with the ADA requirements.

Many of us folks with disabilities across the country work very hard to encourage businesses and organizations to provide access as is our right under the ADA.

Got it?

H.R. 620 fundamentally SHIFTS the accessibility burden FROM businesses & organizations OVER to the individuals with disabilities, forcing ADA compliance responsibilities onto the individuals.

How is this burden expected to work?

Here’s an example: Suppose a business constructs a new building, the property owner would refuse to follow the current ADA building codes until an individual with disability was actually onsite and and be prevented with a barrier, upon which the disabled person would file complaint, requesting building compliance with ADA rules.

The business could consent to compliance, yet delay compliance.

Even taking no action for up to 6 months!

Not resolving the compliance complaint, or requesting endless compliance extensions.

This abusive treatment is horrible for us disabled people!

Indeed, ALL businesses must already comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act rules!

H.R. 620 will change and destroy the ADA!

H.R. 620 will cause us people of disabilities to be powerless?

What to do? We will be required to act on the compliance burden ourselves.

No! This is absolutely wrong!

*disappointed head shake*

Please be aware that we really must act and contact- our House of Representatives,
specifically our elected representative.

How to contact your Representative?

First, you need to find out WHO your elected federal representative is by going to the website link provided in this vlog description.

On that linked website, input your zip code.

The site will provide information on whom representative is, for calling, emailing, or writing and mailing a letter.

I strongly urge everyone to write and contact; CALL your representative and emphasize that H.R. 620 is not absolutely unacceptable AT ALL!

We need to BE LOUD!

If we don’t vocalize loudly, the representatives will believe that the horrible HR 620 is actually good; that we are fine with it!

GOT THAT!

When I am in Congress, I want to be the contact person for fellow congresspeople so, I can collect input from the appropriate disability advocacy groups, representing them through their involvement in my office.

Together, we would help correct policies and introduce bills compatible with what we, the disabled people, want and need, not what ableist majority or institutionally oppressive corporations want to do to disabled people's rights.

These corporations have no say in the people’s government.

NONE!

Only WE, THE PEOPLE, ARE THE GOVERNMENT.

Let’s do it! Tell Congress NO on HR 620!

[Video fades into a black background with a logo of a cartoonish Chris Haulmark signing “Believe” with white text of “Yes, We Can Believe” below the logo. There is the text of www.HaulmarkForCongress.com at the bottom]