Statement on Nomination of Chai Feldblum to Serve on EEOC Commission
Civil Rights and Human Dignity BOARD OF TRUSTEES Nikki Heidepriem, Chair Fabiani & Company, Washington DC Anita L. Allen University of Pennsylvania Law School David B. Apatoff Arnold & Porter, Washington DC Eileen A. Bazelon Department of Psychiatry Medical College of Pennsylvania Rhonda Robinson-Beale OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions Robert A. Burt Yale Law School Jacqueline Dryfoos New York NY Kenneth R. Feinberg Feinberg Rozen, LLP, Washington DC Howard H. Goldman, MD Department of Psychiatry University of Maryland School of Medicine Emily Hoffman Cleveland, Ohio Jacki McKinney National Association of People of Color Consumer/Survivor Network Martha L. Minow Harvard Law School Stephen J. Morse University of Pennsylvania Law School Joseph G. Perpich JG Perpich LLC, Bethesda MD Paul Recer Science and medical journalist Washington DC Harvey Rosenthal New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services Elyn R. Saks University of Southern California Gould School of Law W. Allen Schaffer, MD Bangor, ME Cynthia M. Stinger Washington Group International Martin Tolchin Journalist and author Washington DC Sally Zinman Mental Health Consultant Berkeley, CA HONORARY TRUSTEE Miriam Bazelon Knox Washington DC TRUSTEES EMERITI Mary Jane England Regis College H. Rutherford Turnbull Beach Center for Families and Disability, University of Kansas PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR Robert Bernstein Affiliations listed for informational purposes only 1101 Fifteenth Street NW, Suite 1212, Washington DC 20005-5002 202/467-5730, TDD 202/467-4232, fax 202/223-0409 info@bazelon.org www.bazelon.org
September 22, 2009
The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law applauds the nomination of Chai Feldblum to serve as a commissioner on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. As the Director of the Georgetown University Law Center’s Federal Legislation and Administrative Law Clinic, Professor Feldblum has played many key roles in advancing the rights of people with disabilities and others in the workplace. She has achieved tremendous successes due to her ability to work collaboratively with a wide variety of interests, including organizations representing people with many different disabilities, business leaders, and other stakeholders. “Chai Feldblum is an outstanding choice for EEOC Commissioner,” said Robert Bernstein, Executive Director of the Bazelon Center. “After many years of working on disability issues, she has a deep understanding of the needs of employees with disabilities as well as an understanding of practical realities of the workplace.” Feldblum was a leader in drafting and securing the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Amendments Act, which applied the Fair Housing Act’s protections to people with disabilities. More recently, Feldblum was at the center of efforts to secure passage of the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, a tremendously significant piece of legislation correcting judicial misinterpretations and restoring the ADA’s protections. Feldblum worked with disability and business groups to craft a consensus proposal that became the basis for the ADA Amendments Act, which was passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. The EEOC will issue regulations implementing the ADA Amendments Act.