Encyclopedia of Business and Finance | Americans with Disabilities Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is a comprehensive civil rights act for people with disabilities. On July 26, 1990, President George Bush signed the ADA into law as wide-ranging legislation intended to make American society more accessible to people with disabilities and to prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability. The act is divided into five titles:

1. Employment. Businesses must provide reasonable accommodations in all aspects of employment to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities.
2. Public services. People with disabilities cannot be denied participation in public service programs or activities that are available to people without disabilities.
3. Public accommodations. All new construction must be accessible to individuals with disabilities.
4. Telecommunications. Telecommunication companies must have a telephone relay service for individuals who use telecommunications devices for the deaf (TTYs) or similar devices.
5. Miscellaneous. This title includes a provision prohibiting coercing, threatening, or retaliating against individuals with disabilities or those assisting them in asserting their rights under the ADA.

The protection of the ADA applies primarily, but not exclusively, to individuals with physical and mental disabilities.

Built on a foundation of statutory, legal, and programmatic experience, the ADA was modeled after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. In order to understand the basis for the enactment of the ADA, one must look at certain historical events of the 1970s and the disability rights movement. First and fore-most has been the desire of individuals with disabilities to work toward their goal of full participation in American society, which led to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1974 that so strongly influenced the ADA.

Effects the ADA may have on businesses include restructuring or altering the layout of a building, modifying equipment, and removing barriers. For example, in September 1999, Greyhound Bus Lines of Dallas, Texas, removed architectural barriers and began to provide assistance to passengers with disabilities by means of lift-equipped buses. Another example of the effects of the ADA occurred in February 1997, when Harrison County, Mississippi, gave people who are deaf or hard of hearing an equal opportunity to serve as jurors.

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 has been regarded as the most sweeping piece of legislation since the Civil Rights Act of 1964. More information on the ADA is available at (800)514-0301 (voice) or (800)514-0383 (TDD).