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Contact: Nancy Guida, 212.431.2325, nguida@nyls.edu
LaToya Nelson, 212.431.2191, lnelson@nyls.edu
New York, NY—Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr., (R-Wisconsin) will deliver the Third Annual Tony Coelho Lecture in Disability Employment Law & Policy on Monday, March 26, 2007 at the Wellington Conference Center at New York Law School, from 8:30 to 11 a.m. His speech will focus on opportunities to improve the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“Seventeen years ago, Congress took a major step to break down physical and societal barriers that kept disabled individuals from fully participating in all aspects of American life,” Sensenbrenner said. “The ADA restores the full meaning of equal protection under the law. Although we’ve made great progress for disabled Americans, our work is not complete. The Supreme Court has chipped away at some of the ADA’s broad protections, and this is unacceptable. One of my primary goals this Congress is to restore the ADA’s clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination on the basis of disability.”
Congressman Sensenbrenner has been a member of Congress since 1978, and was chair of the House Committee on the Judiciary from 2001 to 2006. In 1990, Congressman Sensenbrenner was one of the original sponsors of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). His support of disability rights has been influenced by his wife Cheryl, who was in a car accident in her early 20s and suffered a spinal cord injury that paralyzed her lower extremities. Cheryl Sensenbrenner is a disability advocate and sits on the board of the American Association of People with Disabilities.
Last year, Congressman Sensenbrenner co-sponsored HR 6258, the Americans with Disabilities Act Restoration Act. This legislation amended the definition of “disability” in the ADA to make it more inclusive, and thus have more of an impact in the lives of disabled Americans. The bill did not make it to the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote, but is expected to be reintroduced this year by Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and co-sponsored once again by Congressman Sensenbrenner.
The lecture is named for Congressman Tony Coelho, former majority whip in the U.S. House of Representatives, author and principal sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and one of the nation’s leading advocates for people with disabilities. It is presented by New York Law School’s Justice Action Center and led by Professor Seth Harris, director of the Labor and Employment Law Program.
“Even 17 years after the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 was passed, there is a need for events like the Coelho lecture to increase the visibility of issues facing the disabled community, such as how we can raise the employment rate,” Professor Harris said. “This is an issue that has united conservative Republican Congressman Sensenbrenner and liberal Democrat and former Congressman Coelho—two people who disagree on many other issues, joining together to strengthen the rights of the disabled.”
The lecture is open to the public at no charge, and will be broadcast live via New York Law School’s Web site. Registration is required whether attending in person or tuning in to the Webcast. To register, please visit http://www.nyls.edu/pages/5041.asp or call 212.431.2314. Breakfast will be served at 8:30 a.m. Sign language interpreters will be provided. Persons with disabilities should enter the Law School at 234 Church Street. For more information and any additional accommodation needs, please e-mail lawoftheworkplace@nyls.edu.
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