Reasonable Accommodations and an Unreasonable Response

Image Courtesy of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Photo of Rep. Jimmy Anderson

This was not the original post that I was planning to write this week.  I was going to talk about my recent trip to Washington, D.C.;  why I was there, what I did, etc.  However, when I first heard about this situation on Tuesday, I knew I had to comment on it.  You can expect to see a post about Washington, D.C. sometime between today and next Saturday.

Most of this post will talk about an article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.  So let's get into it.

Jimmy Anderson is a representative in the Wisconsin State Assembly for the 47th district.  He became a wheelchair user in 2010 when he was in a car accident that killed his parents and brother, which left him paralyzed from the chest down.  He was elected to the Assembly in 2016 as a Democrat, assuming office in 2017.  Robin Vos is a representative and current Speaker of the Assembly who represents the 63rd district, which includes my hometown.  He has been the Republican representative for this district since 2005, and the Speaker since 2013.

This whole mess started when Representative Anderson asked Speaker Vos for an accommodation to phone into some meetings in Madison.  He asked for this accommodation because he stated that health issues relating to his disability prevent him from coming to all meetings.  Vos has denied this request. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Vos stated: "It just comes down to the fact that I think it’s disrespectful for someone to be asking questions over a microphone or a speakerphone when individuals are actually taking the time out of their day to come and testify in person."  Employment attorney Jeff Hynes has since stated that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that the legislature accommodate Anderson (Journal Sentinel).  In response to this, Vos claims that this was in fact not true because the courts have previously stated that the legislature has the autonomy to create its own rules.  

Anderson is now considering suing over these issues if Vos and the other lawmakers refuse to make a change in the rules.  In response, Vos said that he will not back off of his position, stating "We created the opportunity to provide every accommodation that we could, but we do not allow anyone to phone in. Especially considering the fact that he lives in Dane County. There are people who drive six hours round trip to go to a 30-minute committee meeting. And that’s just part of the job that you know when you sign up for (serving in the Legislature)" (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).  

As a constituent of Vos's, I was incredibly upset and angered by his comments.  No one, let alone a legislator, should have to fight this hard for reasonable accommodation.  I have called and written a letter to Vos in order to express my disappointment and concerns.  In addition, when he defended his decision to myself and my mom, who also reached out, he stated that he had a phenomenal record of working with people with disabilities.  So, I fact-checked this.

According to votesmart.org, in 2009, Vos voted "No" on a bill that would allow women and minorities (which included people with disabilities) to file a civil suit against their employer for discrimination if it occurred.   In addition, he voted "No" on a bill that would require employers to pay compensation if they practiced discrimination against minorities, including people with disabilities.  Within a few weeks, Vos had also voted "No" on a bill that would ban insurance companies from discriminating against people with pre-existing conditions.  Since then, he has voted "Yea," on a bill that would prevent health insurance companies from booting people with pre-existing conditions off of their insurance plans (in early 2019).  Therefore, while he recently voted to protect people with pre-existing conditions, including people with disabilities, his overall record on disability rights is concerning.  I have linked the website that I used for my research, so that you may read it all for yourself if you choose.  

Vos has offered to film meetings for Representative Anderson, which would not afford him the opportunity to vote in these meetings. Meanwhile, he continues to deny the request to allow participation via phone. Vos has further claimed that the entire situation is "political grandstanding." This is the type of comment that people with disabilities hear constantly.  We almost always have to prove that our accommodation requests are indeed reasonable and that they are necessary.  Even after it is thoroughly proven, our requests are turned down without much of an explanation.  It's about time that people with disabilities are seen as a value to our society and that we are treated like it. 

If you were as angered as I was about this, I have included Speaker Robin Vos's and Representative Jimmy Anderson's contact information.  

Robin Vos's Contact Information:

Room 217 West

State Capitol

PO Box 8953

Madison, WI 53708

Email:  Rep.Vos@legis.wisconsin.gov

Phone:  (608) 266-9171

Jimmy Anderson's Contact Information:

Room 9 North

State Capitol

PO Box 8952

Madison, WI 53708

Email:  Rep.Anderson@legis.wisconsin.gov

Phone:  (608) 266-8570

I have linked my sources throughout, so that you may take a look for yourself.

Thanks for reading!