Pennsylvania Disability Rights Groups on Alito Nomination

See this press release. An excerpt:

Leaders of four disability rights groups will hold a lunch briefing on Thursday, January 5th, at 12:30 on the nomination of Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court and his record on civil rights and its effects on the disability community. Tom Earle from Liberty Resources, Inc., Robert W. Meek with the Disabilities Law Project, Joseph A. Rogers of the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania and Ellen Buchman from the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights will host the discussion at the Philadelphia Foundation, 1234 Market Street, 18th Floor, Philadelphia.

"The disability rights community cannot afford to take a wait-and-see approach in regard to Judge Alito; his paper trail makes it clear that his appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court would be disastrous for people with disabilities," said Joseph A. Rogers, President and CEO of the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania.

"Judge Alito's record places him well outside the mainstream and clearly to the right of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, a frequent swing vote on cases involving disability rights," said Thomas Earle, civil rights attorney and Executive Director of Liberty Resources, Inc. "We call on Senator Specter to oppose Samuel Alito's nomination to the United States Supreme Court. His confirmation would put at risk the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Fair Housing Amendments Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and other laws of importance to people with disabilities throughout Pennsylvania."

Robert Meek, a lawyer with the Disabilities Law Project, said, "Judge Alito's troubling decisions -- which tend to favor corporations over individuals with disabilities, limit the exercise of legitimate congressional power to enact legislation to effectuate the rights of people with disabilities and give very narrow readings to laws enacted to protect the rights of people with disabilities -- should be a cause of concern for the disability community. We call on Senator Specter to be mindful of the disability community's position as he leads the Judiciary Committee's consideration of Judge Alito's nomination."