AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

The ADA prohibits the discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, services offered by state and local governments, services and supplies offered by private companies, and in commerical facilities.

Signed into law on July 26, 1990, ADA contains requirements for new constructions, for alterations or renovations to buildings, facilities, and other public buildings, for improving access to private facilities providing to the public. Effective communication, career eligibility, and modifications of policies and practices that may be interpreted as discriminatory are also covered by ADA.

The ADA gives the Department of Justice authority to issue regulations for Title II and Title III of the ADA. The Department also has authority to certify that a State or local accessibility code abides to the ADA's requirements.

TITLE II:(scroll down to ADA Legal Documents) Which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in State and local government programs and services.
TITLE III:(scroll down to ADA Legal Documents) Which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by public accomodations and commerical facilities, incorporating the original rule and the changes published in 1994.

Sources and Helpful Links for Support and Complaint Services

U.S. Department of Justice's Americans with Disabilities Homepage: Provides links to:
- Toll-Free ADA Information Line
- How to file Complaints
- Technical Assistance Program, which requires the Department to provide technical assistance to businesses, State and local governments, and individuals with responsibilities and rights under the law.
- Certification of State and Local Building Codes, which the Department is authorized to certify building codes that meet or exceed the ADA Standards for Accessible Design.
- ADA Techinical Assistance Materials, where all ADA material is provided free from the Department of Justice.
Under the State and Building Codes, all public buildings must be accessible to differently abled people. Provided below are links to businesses and companies focusing on building accessible environments to all people.
- Accessible Landscapes
- Center for Universal Design
- Design Linc
- National Center on Accessibility (NCA)-which focuses on including parks and recreational centers under Title II under ADA.
Differently abled people have rights under the ADA, but most people and businesses remain ignorant of dealing with disabled people. Below are links which provide an extremely politically correct "Etiquette Handbook".
The Council for Disability Rights, CDR, is an excellent support sources for differently abled people who understand rights, but not understand how to exercise them. Below are a few excellent links for support and frequently asked questions.
- The CDR Guide to Disability Rights and dealing with the system, an excellent site for understanding your rights in employment, social security benefits, education, and tax benefits.
- A Parent's Guide to Special Ed/Special Needs, an excellent site in dealing with education for differently abled children. Also valuable for teachers and schools that are interested in setting up a special needs program.
- CDR's web directory to other useful sites.
ADA protects over 43 million Americans with physical or mental impairments that limit their daily activities. Such activites include walking, talking, seeing, hearing or caring for oneself. For employers over the nation, ADA may seem overwhelming at first. But the Act is based on common-sense and human rights. ADA's main goal is to even out the field for those who have do not have disabilities and those who do. However, ADA is not a building code, nor is it affirmitive action. This web site, the ADA Information Center is an excellent source for information about ADA; focusing on businesses, education and training.
- Informational Documents, which is an comphrehensive set of basic and detailed ADA materials. Includes the ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG).
- Training Materials, which provides ADA Training Materials.
- Referral Resources, which provides a listing of regional and national resources for additional information and assistance on ADA issues. Also includes links to other ADA Web Sites.
- Technical Assistance, which provides more detailed information on business situations dealing with ADA.
  
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AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

The ADA prohibits the discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, services offered by state and local governments, services and supplies offered by private companies, and in commerical facilities.

Sources and Helpful Links for Support and Complaint Services