Statement from Disability:IN President & CEO Jill Houghton on Disability Legislation

“Despite the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act more than three decades ago and one in four American adults having a disability, disabled entrepreneurs and individuals with disabilities continue to face a myriad of challenges in the workplace, including digital and physical accessibility, access to contracting and procurement opportunities, disparities in access to capital, inaccurate assumptions about their abilities from employers, and underrepresentation in Corporate America.

In an effort to better understand and address the challenges facing individuals with disabilities, the House recently passed two pieces of legislation. H.R. 7985, the Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Reporting Act of 2024, would require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to submit to Congress a report on the challenges facing entrepreneurs with a disability. This legislation was passed under suspension of the rules, which requires at least two-thirds of the chamber’s support.

H.R. 7989, the ThinkDIFFERENTLY About Disability Employment Act, was also recently voted out of the Small Business Committee and awaits the approval of the full House. The legislation would require the Small Business Administrator to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the National Council on Disability to increase employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

Disability:IN commends Reps. Morgan McGarvey (D-KY) and Marcus Molinaro (R-NY) for their leadership on this important matter and urges Congress to swiftly pass these bills and President Biden to sign them into law.”