Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)


The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009.

The Americans with Disabilities Act gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, State and local government services, telecommunications, and it also applies to the United States Congress.

To be protected by the ADA, one must have a disability or have a relationship or association with an individual with a disability. An individual with a disability is defined by the ADA as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment. The ADA does not specifically name all of the impairments that are covered.

If you have a disability and are qualified to do a job, the ADA protects you from job discrimination on the basis of your disability. Under the ADA, you have a disability if you have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. The ADA also protects you if you have a history of such a disability, or if an employer believes that you have such a disability, even if you don't.

ADA Title I - Employment - The ADA states that a covered entity shall not discriminate against a qualified individual with a disability. This applies to job application procedures, hiring, advancement and discharge of employees, worker's compensation, job training, and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment - Faq and Americans with Disabilities Act - ADA Employment Information

ADA Title II - Public Services including public transportation - Title II has two sections. One covers public agencies (local, county, state, etc., government and their units). That section generally requires the agencies to comply with regulations similar to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. These rules cover access to all programs offered by the entity. Access includes physical access described in the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards or the ADA Standards for Accessible Design and access that might be obstructed by discriminatory policies or procedures of the entity. The other section of Title II is specific to public transportation provided by public entities. It includes the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, along with all other commuter authorities. This section requires the provision of paratransit services by public entities.

ADA Title III - Public Accommodations (and Commercial Facilities) - No individual may be discriminated against on the basis of disability with regards to the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation by any person who owns, leases (or leases to), or operates a place of public accommodation. "Public accommodations" include most places of lodging (such as inns and hotels), recreation, transportation, education, and dining, along with stores, care providers, and places of public displays, among other things. Faq and Americans with Disabilities Act - Building and Stores ADA Information

ADA Title IV - Telecommunications - This section requires that all of the 1,600 some-odd telecommunications companies in the U.S. take steps to ensure functionally equivalent services for consumers with disabilities, notably those who are deaf or hard of hearing and those with speech impairments.

ADA Title V - Miscellaneous Provisions

Here is the current text of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (www.ada.gov/pubs/ada.htm), as amended. It was originally enacted in public law format and later rearranged and published by subject matter in the United States Code.

ADA Documents outlining technical requirements for accessibility to buildings and facilities

For documents outlining the technical requirements for accessibility to buildings and facilities by individuals with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) including technical requirements to be applied during the design, construction, and alteration of buildings and facilities covered by titles II and III of the ADA required by Federal agencies and the Department of Justice and the Department of Transportation, under the ADA visit ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities (www.access-board.gov/adaag/html/adaag.htm).

Telephone Numbers for more ADA Information

This list contains the telephone numbers of Federal agencies that are responsible for providing information to the public about the Americans with Disabilities Act and organizations that have been funded by the Federal government to provide information through staffed information centers. The agencies and organizations listed are sources for obtaining information about the law's requirements and informal guidance in understanding and complying with the ADA.

ADA Home Page - www.ada.gov

ADA Information Line U.S. Department of Justice For ADA publications and questions - 800-514-0301 (voice) - 800-514-0383 (TTY)
www.ada.gov or ada.gov

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
For publications 800-669-3362 (voice) - 800-800-3302 (TTY)
For questions - 800-669-4000 (voice) - 800-669-6820 (TTY)
www.eeoc.gov

U.S. Department of Transportation - ADA Assistance Line for regulations and complaints - 888-446-4511 (voice) - TTY: use relay service
www.fta.dot.gov/civilrights/civil_rights_2360.html

Federal Communications Commission - 888-225-5322 (voice) - 888-835-5322 (TTY)
www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro

U.S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board - 800-872-2253 (voice) - 800-993-2822 (TTY)
www.access-board.gov

U.S. Department of Labor - Job Accommodation Network - 800-526-7234 (voice & TTY)
www.jan.wvu.edu

U.S. Department of Education - Regional Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers - 800-949-4232 (voice & TTY)
www.adata.org

U.S. Department of Transportation - Project Action - 800-659-6428 (voice) - TTY: use relay service
www.projectaction.org

Articles

Pub. DateTopicAuthor
2012-01-28ADA Amendments Act - Department of EducationDepartment of Education
2011-11-29Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Regulations InformationU.S. Department of Justice - Civil Rights Division - Disability Rights Section
2011-10-15Service for Guests with Disabilities Video Reflects New ADA RequirementsAmerican Hotel & Lodging Association
2011-03-12Disability Accessibility Guide for TownsAmericans with Disabilities Act
2010-09-1220 Years Since The Passage of the ADA, Employment Disparities RemainWilliam M. Julien, P.A.
2010-07-23DOJ Announces Plans to Prepare New ADA RegulationsU.S. Department of Justice
2010-07-22Attorney General Speaks at American Association of People With Disabilities Justice For All EventU.S. Department of Justice
2010-06-29Celebrating 100 Days of the ADANational Mobility Equipment Dealers Association
2010-06-20Hud Adds Important Civil Rights Protections to Grant ProgramsU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
2010-06-10National Disability Rights Network Annual Conference RemarksU.S. Department of Justice
2010-06-04Real Life ADA Mediation Cases - How ADA Mediation Can HelpDisabled World
2010-06-03ADA Rights for Returning Service Members with DisabilityDisabled World
2010-05-27Discriminatory Hiring Practices Appear to Increase During RecessionLoya and Associates
2009-12-20ADA Law and Accessibility - The Costs of Non-ComplianceThomas C. Weiss
2009-10-31Child Care Centers and The Americans With Disabilities ActU.S. Department of Justice
2009-05-25ADA Requirements for Business SignsChristine Harrell
2009-02-10Disability ADA LawsAshish Jain
2009-01-27ADA Rules for EmploymentSandi Baker - Visual Innovation and Solutions
2009-01-14Definition of the ADAJoseph Devine
2009-01-05Fair Housing Act Prohibits Housing DiscriminationU.S. Department of Justice
2009-01-04ADA Title I: EmploymentU.S. Department of Justice
2009-01-04ADA Title II: State and Local GovernmentU.S. Department of Justice
2009-01-04ADA Title II: Public Transportation InformationU.S. Department of Justice
2009-01-04ADA Title III: Public AccommodationsU.S. Department of Justice
2009-01-04ADA Title IV: Telecommunications Relay ServicesU.S. Department of Justice
2009-01-04Americans with Disabilities Act FaqsADA
2009-01-04Americans with Disabilities Act - Building and Stores ADA InformationADA
2009-01-04Americans with Disabilities Act - ADA Employment InformationADA

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