NAD Criticizes National Restaurant Association Endorsement of ADA Notification Act

Steven C. Anderson
President and Chief Executive Officer
National Restaurant Association
1200 17th St., NW
Washington, DC 20036 202-331-5900

Dear Mr. Anderson,
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) was disappointed by your organization’s recent endorsement of the ADA Notification Act. Such actions by your organization indicate that your member restaurants wish to continue prolonging coming into compliance with the ADA. The ADA was enacted in 1990 – fourteen (14) years ago. Individuals with disabilities should not be required to give restaurants another 90-day period to comply with the ADA, under the ADA Notification Act, each time they face physical or communication barriers at member restaurants.

At the National Jr. NAD Conference in Washington DC a few months ago, young deaf and hard of hearing leaders unanimously agreed that the most noticeable access issue for them is the lack of access to drive through service at fast food restaurants. This clearly indicates that members of your organization can do more now to ensure compliance with the ADA.

The endorsement of the ADA Notification Act by your organization sends a strong message to millions of individuals with disabilities that they are not welcome in your member restaurants.

I urge you to refocus your efforts to educate your members on how to comply with the ADA.

Please consider this a standing invitation for you meet with us to discuss how we can collaborate on efforts to educate the restaurant industry about its obligations to comply with essential civil rights legislation.

Established in 1880, the NAD is the oldest and largest consumer-based national advocacy organization safeguarding the civil and accessibility rights of 28 million deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States of America. The mission of the National Association of the Deaf is to promote, protect, and preserve the rights and quality of life of deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States of America. Primary areas of focus include grassroots advocacy and empowerment, captioned media, deafness-related information and publications, legal rights and technical assistance, policy development and research, and youth leadership development. The NAD works closely with deafness related national organizations and is a member of several coalitions representing the interests of deaf, hard of hearing, late deafened and deaf-blind individuals.

Sincerely,

Kelby N. Brick, Esq.
Associate Executive Director for Law and Advocacy