On 34th Anniversary of ADA, Schakowsky Reintroduces Legislation to Ensure New Homes Meet Accessibility Standards

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WASHINGTON- Today, on the 34th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) reintroduced the Eleanor Smith Inclusive Home Design Act. This legislation would make new homes more accessible for those living with disabilities, including many of our seniors and veterans.

"On the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), I am proud to reintroduce the Eleanor Smith Inclusive Home Design Act. This legislation would help ensure that people with disabilities, including a number of our veterans who have heroically served our country, can live and thrive independently in their own homes. Accessibility adaptations can be so simple that they are undetectable to those who are not looking: zero-step entrances, doorways wide enough for wheelchairs, and reachable light switches are small and inexpensive inclusions. But for Americans living with disabilities, these accommodations can make a world of difference, allowing them to age in place rather than being forced into a nursing home or having to spend thousands of dollars to make their home more livable," said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. "The Eleanor Smith Inclusive Home Design Act would help ensure that new homes meet these simple accessibility standards. Not only would this legislation improve the quality-of-life of all those Americans living with disabilities, but it would improve the lives of their caretakers as well. It is time to build upon the promise of the ADA, and work to make our society a more inclusive place for all."

Specifically, the legislation would require all newly built single-family homes and townhouses receiving federal funds have a zero-step entrance, wheelchair accessible doorways and bathrooms, reachable light switches, and climate controls that are at a height reachable from a wheelchair.

Additional cosponsors of the Eleanor Smith Inclusive Home Design Act include U.S. Representatives Raúl Grijalva (AZ-07), Ro Khanna (CA-17), and Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL).

The Eleanor Smith Inclusive Home Design Act is endorsed by the American Association of People with Disabilities, the American Association of Interior Designers, Autism Society, Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, and Independence First.

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