On May 11th, 2000, members of Chicago, Indiana and Wisconsin ADAPT chapters met Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan to discuss his role in taking on Stephens v. Illinois ADA case.

In April, Chicago ADAPT held a demonstration against the 7th Circuit Court, which ruled that State employees with disabilities can't file a lawsuit against their employers in Federal court based on discrimination in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. The court ruled that the 11th amendment of the U.S. constitution prohibits states from being sued in Federal court. After the demonstration, the ADAPTers marched to Ryan's office and demanded a meeting with the Attorney General to find out why he chooses to defend the state against a state employee who sued the state under Title 1 of the ADA.

The most disturbing thing is that Ryan elected to take the case even before the 7th Circuit Court's ruling. He defended his actions in the meeting, saying that it is his duty to uphold the law as Attorney General. He said that he's a supporter of the ADA and disability rights. The ADAPT group acknowledged that nothing can be done about the past, but they gave him demands which might improve the relations between the Attorney General's Office and the disability community.

The demands that Ryan agreed to work on was to coordinate regular meetings between his Office of Disability Rights Bureau and disabled advcates so that the line of communication would be better in future ADA cases against the state, and other disability matters. To set up a meeting between the AG's from Indiana and Wisconsin and the group to discuss how to save our civil rights from the coninued ADA bashing.

Ryan was hesitant to sign a pledge to support the ADA that was given to him at the meeting, but said he'll look at it before deciding to sign it. He said the same when asked to sign on to Minnesota AG's Amicus Brief to defend the ADA.

Larry Biondi