Category: Public Comment

DREDF Comments in Response to National Park Service Proposed Rulemaking Regarding Special Events and Demonstrations in the National Capital Region

October 17, 2018
DREDF submitted comments October 15, 2018 in response to National Park Service proposed rulemaking regarding special events and demonstrations in the National Capital Region. DREDF strongly opposed the rules which would restrict constitutional rights to free speech by limiting access to the White House sidewalk, assessing fees, and limiting rapid response actions.

DREDF Comment in Support of the Preservation of the Existing Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) Rule

October 15, 2018
DREDF joined advocates across the country in filing comments to support the preservation of the existing Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) Rule, finalized in 2015. The AFFH Rule is vital to ensure that all people, including people with disabilities, have fair and equal access to the affordable housing opportunities that we need.

Public Comments on Medicaid Access Proposed Rule (RIN 0938-AT41, CMS-2406-P)

May 22, 2018
DREDF joins fellow advocates in opposing a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that would allow states with high Medicaid managed care plan enrollment to reduce the “administrative burden” of documenting whether their fee-for-service Medicaid payments are high enough to ensure that beneficiaries have access to covered care and services.

CMS’s proposed rule.

On the 64th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka

May 17, 2018
At the request of Congressman Bobby Scott, DREDF submitted a letter (PDF) to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce on the 64th anniversary of the landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. The letter urges Congress to continue its traditional role of providing leadership and oversight to ensure that the civil rights of all students are protected as the Administration and US Department of Education rollback civil rights enforcement.

Comments Concerning Removing Regulatory Barriers for Vehicles with Automated Driving Systems

March 23, 2018
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) is pleased to submit in response to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) request for comments regarding regulatory barriers for vehicles with automated driving systems (ADSs). DREDF thanks NHTSA for its work to date to ensure safety for disabled passengers, pedestrians and bicyclists.

Comments on HHS Proposed Rule on Protecting Statutory Conscience

March 27, 2018
On March 27, 2018 DREDF submitted comments in response to regulations proposed by the Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights on “Protecting Statutory Conscience Rights in Health Care.” DREDF questions the vagueness and breadth of the proposed rule which gives broad latitude to healthcare providers and entities to refuse to perform or assist in performing health care services or activities to which they object “for religious, moral, ethical, or other reasons.” DREDF emphasized that the provider’s right to refuse cannot simply override the right of persons with disabilities of all races, ethnicities, ages, sexual orientation and gender, to receive accessible and equally effective healthcare services, free of discrimination.

Comments Submitted Concerning Automated Driving Systems

March 5, 2018
Automated driving systems (ADS) have the potential to dramatically improve the lives of people with disabilities and improve the safety of our streets. More than half a million people with disabilities never leave home and cite transportation difficulties. Children with disabilities are more than 5 times as likely to be hit by a motor vehicle as a bicyclist or pedestrian than children without disabilities. Many people with disabilities cannot drive or lack access to a personal vehicle. Only 45% of rental households with individuals who use wheeled mobility devices have access to a personal vehicle.