Washington (September 26, 2023) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, introduced a resolution recognizing the importance of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 on the lives of individuals with disabilities. The resolution also calls for further action from the federal government, in cooperation with states and cities, to advance access, opportunity, and equity for people with disabilities.
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 marks the first time Congress addressed the civil rights of people with disabilities. The legislation prohibited organizations and employers receiving federal financial assistance – including federal agencies – from discrimination on the basis of disability. The Act laid the groundwork for the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
“In the half-century since the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was first enacted, people with disabilities have had greater protections, expanded educational and employment opportunities, and increased access to health care, community living, transportation, communication, and more,” Senator Markey. “My resolution honors the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and recommits the Senate to continue to work towards true equality for people with disabilities, including individuals with multi-marginalized identities. I will continue to advance legislation, oversight, and resources so that people with disabilities of all ages can live with dignity and respect.”
A copy of the resolution can be found HERE.
Cosponsors in the Senate include Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).
The resolution is endorsed by American Association of People with Disabilities, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Paralyzed Veterans of America, National Council on Learning Disabilities, Center for American Progress, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Perkins School for the Blind, Center for Learning Equity, Pandemic Patients, Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network, Access Ready, Assistive Technology Industry Association, Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, and Permobil Americas.
“The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and its regulations encoded the vision of disabled activists of an accessible world. The Act continues to regulate key areas of society and serves as a base that we continue to build upon. For the last fifty years, the Act has made it possible for our communities to be more inclusive, and for disabled Americans to enforce their rights,” says Susan Henderson, Executive Director of the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund.
“Passed 50 years ago, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 remains a fundamental source of protections for people with disabilities to this day. A lot has changed since then, but unfortunately stigma, discrimination and paternalistic attitudes about people with disabilities persist, and the need for strong civil rights protections is as great today as it was 50 years ago when the Rehabilitation Act was enacted,” says Megan Schuller, Legal Director at Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law.
“The National Center for Learning Disabilities applauds Senator Markey for introducing this resolution celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, recognizing both the steps we have taken and the actions we still need to do to ensure all students have a free and appropriate public education. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act is critical for students with learning disabilities as it guarantees the right to reasonable accommodations to remove barriers in public schools, colleges, and universities. We join with Senator Markey and other disability rights activists and organizations in celebrating this historic anniversary,” says Lindsay Kubatzky, Director of Policy & Advocacy at the National Center for Learning Disabilities.
“Perkins School for the Blind applauds Senator Markey’s acknowledgment of the passage of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and its groundbreaking impact on the lives of individuals with disabilities. For the first time, our nation recognized the civil rights of people with disabilities and called for further action to advance access, opportunity, and equity for all citizens with disabilities of the United States,” said Kim Charlson, Executive Director of Perkins Library.
“The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) celebrates with Senator Markey the 50th anniversary of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, when Congress recognized the great need to establish the fundamental civil right for people with disabilities to be free from discrimination in education, work, and life. Today, COPAA members can attest to the continued need – through Section 504 of the law – to safeguard the civil rights of our nation’s 8.8 million disabled school-age students, 2.8 million college-age undergraduates, and more than 1 million youth and young adults receiving vocational rehabilitation through supported employment training programs. We look forward to and are committed to a future where Section 504 protections are upheld by every public education entity so that each individual with a disability can participate fully in education, work, and life,” said Denise Marshall, CEO of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates.
“The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 pulled a large brick from the wall of inaccessibility and let a glimmer of light through. We look forward to working with Congress and agencies to continue breaking down barriers to ensure that individuals with disabilities have access to information and communication technologies,” says Doug Towne, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Access Ready.
In September, Senator Markey led his colleagues Senators Warren and Fetterman in a letter to the Department of Education (ED) and Department of Justice (DOJ) urging them to strengthen non-discrimination protections for higher education students seeking voluntary medical leaves of absence including through policy reforms to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. In July, Senator Markey and Representative Anan G. Eshoo (CA-16) announced the reintroduction of the Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility (CVTA) Act, legislation that would update and strengthen existing accessibility regulations to ensure equal access to mainstream communication for people with disabilities. In May, during Mental Health Awareness Month, Senator Markey and Representative Katie Porter (CA-47) announced the introduction of the Student Mental Health Rights Act, legislation to require the ED and DOJ to publish guidance for colleges and universities to support students with mental health disabilities and substance use disorder, and to ensure these institutions are meeting existing federal civil rights law. In March, during Disability Awareness Month, the two lawmakers introduced the Disability and Age in Jury Service Nondiscrimination Act to prohibit excluding a person from jury service based on these identities and ensure disabled jurors, who can perform their duties with reasonable accommodations, would not be disqualified from service. In February, Senator Markey demanded then-CEO Elon Musk to reinstate Twitter’ Accessibility Team and support the development and implementation of critical online features, so users with disabilities can fully access and utilize the social media platform.
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