The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced on April 16 that it will be providing a Dear Colleague Letter reminding community partners that are involved in the COVID-19 pandemic response that the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) applies to their services.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe and distressing impact on people with disabilities, who, through no fault of their own, have faced additional barriers due to the public health crisis,” said Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We will vigorously pursue justice on behalf of those who are not provided equal access because of their disability. It is absolutely critical that COVID-19 resources, including vaccines and testing, are implemented in a manner that ensures individuals with disabilities are not subjected to discrimination and are able to access those services.”
For more information on the ADA, visit ADA.gov or call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TTY).