Tammy Duckworth Demands Justice Department Answers For People With Disabilities

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and other lawmakers are pushing to make it easier for disabled Americans to take action when they believe their rights have been violated.

Duckworth sent a letter to the Department of Justice on Thursday calling for increased transparency and updates on its Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) mediation program, an informal process that aims to assist parties in developing mutually-agreed-upon solutions that comply with the federal law.

The Department of Justice has mediated thousands of conversations between disabled people and public establishments to address alleged violations of the ADA.

But the senator’s letter, which was co-signed by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), claimed that the DOJ has not provided transparent and timely updates to Congress and the public on the program’s performance and effectiveness in over a decade, despite having done so on a quarterly basis in the past.

“When disability rights are violated, those harmed deserve to be heard and should receive the support they need quickly and fairly. While the Department of Justice’s Mediation Program has made progress as a valuable tool to resolve ADA complaints, the DOJ has not regularly shared updates on the program’s performance with Congress or the American people for over a decade — and that has got to change,” Duckworth said in a statement sent to HuffPost.

“I’m calling on the DOJ to provide feedback on this program so we can help ensure it is as effective and efficient as possible for the millions of Americans who live with a disability and experience discrimination in our nation,” she said.

The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in the U.S. However, public and private