Rep. Lee Responds to Constituent, Takes Bipartisan Action to Improve Disability Access in Southern Nevada
Read This Boulder City Review Special on Why This Issue Matters so Much to the Community
Las Vegas, Nev. – U.S. Reps. Susie Lee (Nev.-03), Jahana Hayes (Conn.-05), and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (Conn.) led and introduced the bipartisan, bicameral H. Con. Res. 80 on Friday, Dec. 13, 2019. This resolution declares federal support of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act as well as legislation from 1968 requiring all infrastructure built with public funds to be made fully accessible to individuals with disabilities. Rep. Lee's leadership behind this action is a result of contact from a constituent in Boulder City, Nev., who asked for her assistance with addressing serious accessibility issues at the local post office.
Earlier this year, Boulder City resident and member of the Nevada advocacy group Nevadans For The Common Good Bruce Benke, alerted Rep. Lee that the Boulder City Post Office does not have automatic doors. Automatic doors are a simple but necessary technology for persons with disabilities. Rep. Lee contacted the U.S. Postal Service on her constituents' behalf. The agency informed her that they do not have the budget—in Boulder City or elsewhere in the country—to update their infrastructure.
Rep. Lee helped introduce this resolution in response to a clear gap in federal building accessibility for Americans with disabilities that is directly impacting southern Nevadans.
"When one of my constituents comes to me with a problem, I'll do everything in my power to help them," said Rep. Lee. "That's just what happened here. A Boulder City resident and member of the Nevada advocacy group, Nevadans For The Common Good, Bruce Benke, wrote to me and told me their local Post Office didn't have automatic doors. Swinging a door open is something able-bodied people take for granted, but a resident with a physical disability doesn't have that luxury. After a back-and-forth with USPS, it was made clear they just don't have the funding for automatic doors. Unfortunately, there are post offices and federally-funded buildings throughout the country with inadequate physical access just like in my district. A society is measured by how it looks after its most vulnerable populations, and this bipartisan resolution is an important step in our duty to guarantee all Americans have access to federally-funded resources like the postal service."
"Throughout our history, we have worked to expand the protection of the law all," said Rep. Hayes. "This resolution is the latest step on that journey – a pledge that our government – and the buildings that house it - must work for all Americans. I thank Senator Blumenthal and all of my colleagues for joining me in this bipartisan effort to commit to equality under the law."
"People living with disabilities come from all walks of life," said Republican Rep. Don Young (Alaska-At-Large). "They are our family members, friends, and neighbors. We should be doing all that we can to affirm the inherent worth and dignity of those with disabilities. This resolution is an important one, as it makes clear that all people—regardless of ability—are created equally, and deserve the same access to public places as anyone else. I sincerely thank my colleagues for their work on this important effort."
"While we've made tremendous progress because of landmark laws, we still have far more to do to ensure every American has equal opportunity, access and rights," said Senator Blumenthal. "We must tear down all barriers preventing people with disabilities from striving for the American Dream—including physical barriers that make federal buildings and federally-funded housing inaccessible to them and keep them away from vital services and opportunities."
BACKGROUND: The text of the House concurrent resolution can be read here. The concurrent resolution's introduction on Friday, Dec. 13, coincides with the anniversary of the United Nations' adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Adopted in 2006, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities became global law in May 2008. It has become one of the most widely-supported global treaties, having been ratified by more than 85 percent of United Nations member states. The Convention recognized global disability rights in a variety of areas including infrastructure design, communications, and accessibility.
This bipartisan concurrent resolution was also cosponsored by Reps. Jim Langevin (R.I.-02), Jim Himes (Conn.-04), John Larson (Conn.-01), Rosa DeLauro (Conn.-03), David Cicilline (R.I.-01), Joe Courtney (Conn.-02), Donald Payne (N.J.-02), and Don Young (Alaska-At-Large).