Americans with Disabilities Act

1. Americans with Disabilities Act PL 101-336 - 1990

2. Americans with Disabilities Act • Signed into law on July 26 1990 • Intended to make American Society more accessible to people with disabilities

3. Americans with Disabilities Act Five titles of the ADA • Employment • Public Services • Public Accommodations • Telecommunications • Miscellaneous

4. ADA Title I Employment • Business must provide reasonable accommodations to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in all aspects of employment. Changes include: • restructuring jobs • altering the layout of workstations • or modifying equipment.

5. ADA Title I Employment • Employment aspects may include • the application process • Hiring • Wages • Benefits • all other aspects of employment. • Medical examinations are highly regulated

6. ADA Title II Public Services • Public services cannot deny services to people with disabilities participation in programs or activities which are available to people without disabilities. • state and local government instrumentalities • National Railroad Passenger Corporation • commuter authorities • In addition, public transportation systems must be accessible to individuals with disabilities.

7. ADA Title II Public Accommodations • All new construction and modifications must be accessible to individuals with disabilities. • For existing facilities, barriers to services must be removed if readily achievable. • Restaurants Hotels • grocery stores retail stores • privately owned transportation systems.

8. ADA Title IV • Telecommunications companies offering telephone service to the general public must have telephone relay service to individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TTYs) or similar devices.

9. Example of a TTYhttp://www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/trs/what_is_a_tty.htmlText Telephone or Teletypewriters

10. ADA Title V Miscellaneous Includes a provision prohibiting either • coercing or threatening • retaliating against the disabled or those attempting to aid people with disabilities in asserting their rights under the ADA.

11. ADA Title V Miscellaneous An individual is "disabled" if he or she meets at least any one of the following tests: • physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of his/her major life activities • He or she has a record of such an impairment • He or she is regarded as having such an impairment.

12. Other individuals who are protected in certain circumstances include • those, such as parents, who have an association with an individual known to have a disability • those who are coerced or subjected to retaliation for assisting people with disabilities in asserting their rights under the ADA.

13. ADA Title V Miscellaneous • Apply to employers of 15 employees or more • Public accommodations provisions apply to all sizes of business, regardless of number of employees. • State and local governments are covered regardless of size.