Urgent- Action needed by Sunday, June 15th to make your voice heard!
The federal Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a “direct final rule” that will eliminate a long-standing requirement of Section 504 requiring new buildings constructed with federal funds to be accessible to people with disabilities. The Department now calls this rule “unnecessary” and “burdensome.”
Removing this rule would:
- Eliminate enforceable accessibility standards for new federally funded buildings.
- Allow renovations that leave out ramps, elevators, accessible restrooms, and more.
- Undermine the civil rights protections of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
Another Section 504 rule that they are looking to remove would rescind 504 regulations related to nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs or activities.
Historically speaking, federal agencies participate in a process called “notice and comment” to modify regulations, where the public receives notice, is given a period of time to comment, and then those comments are considered by the agency before a final ruling is made. This is a process that generally takes years to complete.
However, the DOE is using the “direct final rule” to expedite this process. According to www.Regulations.gov, the final rules will be effective on July 15 of this year unless significant comments opposing the change are received by this coming Sunday, June 15.
Make your voice heard and say “no” to these changes!
Click both links below and leave a public comment on each.
Docket #1 – Go to DOE-HQ-2025-0015 and click “Comment”: https://bit.ly/4kuX2R2
Docket #2 – Go to DOE-HQ-2025-0024 and click “Comment” : https://bit.ly/4mGKgjY
Your comments do not need to be long. You can simply say you oppose the elimination or weakening of the long-standing requirement of Section 504 which requires new buildings constructed with federal funds to be accessible to people with disabilities and you oppose the removal of 504 regulations related to nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs and activities.
We want to thank the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities for their continued advocacy efforts and for sharing this information with us.