We are a nation of laws. We expect people to abide by laws, and we expect our laws to be applied equally to all people.

When IAVA found out that disabled people were not receiving the full protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), we needed to help. After all, veterans are disproportionately disabled. They need the full protections of the ADA and deserve full protections of this vital law.

IAVA’s support came in the form of an amicus brief that we filed last month in the U.S. Supreme Court. The brief asked the Court to accept for review an important case about how the ADA is applied. One appeals court, the Tenth Circuit, has created a nearly insurmountable hurdle for bringing ADA claims; the court’s standard makes it virtually impossible to receive protection against disability discrimination.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit dictates the law for everyone in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Utah. IAVA’s amicus brief noted that 1.2 million veterans live in these states. At least 250,000 of them currently have a disability. The case matters greatly to these veterans, and should matter greatly to all of us.

It is time for these disabled veterans to have full access to the ADA. Veterans have ably served our country. It is time for our country to serve them.