Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (PL 101-336)

What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted in 1990 to provide protection for people with disabilities against discrimination on the basis of their disabilities. The law is considered comprehensive in its coverage and is divided into five major sections (referred to in the Act as Titles) addressing five individual areas of people's lives.

What areas does the act cover?
The Americans With Disabilities Act covers the following areas:

Title I: Prohibits discrimination in the employment setting. This includes any employer who has 15 or more employees or any employer receiving federal funds.

Title II: Prohibits discrimination by federal and local government as well as any entity receiving federal funding.

Title III: Prohibits discrimination by private sector providers of public goods and services. This Title has many built-in exceptions.

Title IV: Applies to telecommunication services for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. It provides for relay systems across the country.

Title V: Prohibits discrimination by the Federal Department of Transportation as well as state and local public transit systems. The regulations for this Title outline requirements for reasonable accommodations by public transit systems.

Who is covered by the Americans With Disabilities Act?
The Americans With Disabilities Act covers anyone who fits within the Act's definition of disabled and is participating in one of the coverage areas.

How does the Americans With Disabilities Act define an "individual with a disability"?
The ADA defines an "individual with a disability" as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such an impairment, or, is regarded as having such an impairment. Hence, the definition extends to persons who may have a history of substantial life impairments even though they are not currently impaired. The definition also covers individuals who are caregivers or are responsible for those who are substantially impaired.

Who administers the Americans With Disabilities Act?
The employment provisions of the ADA are administered by the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC). The Public and Private Accommodation provisions of the ADA are administered by the Department Of Justice. The Telecommunication provisions of the ADA are administered by the Federal Communications Commission. The Transportation provisions of the ADA are administered by the Department Of Transportation.

The Department of Justice offers technical assistance on the ADA Standards for Accessible Design and other ADA provisions applying to businesses, nonprofit service agencies, and state and local government programs. It also provides information on how to file ADA complaints. The ADA Information Line for publications, questions, and referrals is 800-514-0301 (voice), 800-514-0383 (TTY). The Internet address for the ADA Home Page is http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm.