#PWDConnectJobs: CBS, Anderson Cooper and DOL’s Andrew Puzder

CBS and Anderson Cooper took to the airwaves last week and did a story on drive-by lawsuits. Both the drive-by lawsuit and the business unaware hurt individuals with disabilities with everything that we need. From accessibility to equal opportunity, we are underserved in both areas. Drive-by lawsuits hurt our reputation and need for accessibility while businesses continue to neglect people with disabilities in general.

I found a 2005 article how Hardee’s was sued for not hiring individual disability. The new Department of Labor nominee Andrew Puzder is the CEO of Hardee’s fast food parent company and has opposed many of the recent advancements made under the present Obama administration. I will agree with Marlee Matlin that the story was informative to some degree, but we need more stories on an accessibility, inequality and where we go under this new administration.

Supporters of disability rights took to Twitter this week to criticize Anderson Cooper’s 60 Minutes report about lawyers who may be exploiting the Americans with Disabilities Act by targeting businesses with frivolous “drive-by-lawsuits.”

Individuals with disabilities complained that the plight of the business owner was the focus of the story:

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Mike Mort @MikeeMort

Dear @60Minutes,#Inaccessibility remains a major issue, far greater an issue than lawyers “taking advantage.” #Ideas4Anderson

5:27 PM – 6 Dec 2016 · New York, USA

• 1717 Retweets
• 2020 likes

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Sue Kerr ✔@PghLesbian24

Oh this @60Minutes@andersoncooper#ADA story makes me cringe. I should have to BEG every single business to comply? Thanks, Anderson. #fb

7:48 PM – 4 Dec 2016

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• 22 likes

Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin, who is deaf, called Cooper’s piece “informative and enlightening” in one tweet, but she also questioned the broadcast’s balance of coverage on the matter:

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