On the Scene: Disabling the GOP

Washington, D.C. WHEN THE Senate passed the Americans with Disabilities Act last fall and sent it over to the House, members on both sides of the aisle were horrified by the bill. Under the guise of civil rights for the disabled, the Senate had passed a disaster for U.S. business. It was so bad that even the Democratic House leadership recognized the problems; it sent the bill to four separate committees for surgery, and, though there were significant improvements, there was a Emit to the scope of the repairs. The reason? A united front of disability-rights activists and the White House. Aswegoto press the bill is expected to pass the House by an overwhelming margin.

The problems the bill would cause are almost unbelievable. For one thing, it would force all employers (excluding only the Federal Government and—perhaps fittingly under this Administration—country clubs) to retrofit their premises to make them fully accessible to disabled workers and patrons. Since access would now be a civil right, moreover, the cost would not be relevant—even if that means eliminating bus service or closing down businesses that cannot afford either compliance or the legal expenses of defending themselves in court. In addition, the bill would also, for the first time, grant homosexuals the right to sue over discrimination.

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Susan Mandel

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Washington, D.C. WHEN THE Senate passed the Americans with Disabilities Act last fall and sent it over to the House, members on both sides of the aisle were horrified by the bill. Under the guise of civil rights for the disabled, the Senate had passed a disaster for U.S. business. It was so bad that even the Democratic House leadership recognized the problems; it sent the bill to four separate committees for surgery, and, though there were significant improvements, there was a Emit to the scope of the repairs. The reason? A united front of disability-rights activists and the White House. Aswegoto press the bill is expected to pass the House by an overwhelming margin.

The problems the bill would cause are almost unbelievable. For one thing, it would force all employers (excluding only the Federal Government and—perhaps fittingly under this Administration—country clubs) to retrofit their premises to make them fully accessible to disabled workers and patrons. Since access would now be a civil right, moreover, the cost would not be relevant—even if that means eliminating bus service or closing down businesses that cannot afford either compliance or the legal expenses of defending themselves in court. In addition, the bill would also, for the first time, grant homosexuals the right to sue over discrimination.