Because it has a legal definition, the ADA’s definition of disability is different from how disability is defined under some other laws. It is important to remember that in the context of the ADA, “disability” is a legal term rather than a medical one. What is the definition of disability under the ADA? It prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, state and local government programs, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications. The ADA is a comprehensive civil rights law. Some parts of the ADA didn’t go into effect until after that date to give entities time to comply with the law, but those compliance deadlines have passed. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law on July 26, 1990. The Americans with Disabilities Act: An Overview When did the ADA become a law? She also serves on the Bioethics Committee of Texas Children’s Hospital. Jacquie is the President of the Board of Directors of A Simple Thread. Jacquie is also the Director of the Paralegal Certificate Program at the University of Houston. A graduate of the University of Houston Law Center, her interest in disability law started with her nine children, the youngest five of whom are adopted and have different kinds of disabilities. Jacquie Brennan is an attorney with the Southwest ADA Center. This book is meant to provide basic information about disability rights, as well as resources for finding out more.
It is my hope that this book, which is a very broad brush look at disability law, will find its way into the hands of both individuals who have disabilities and entities that have obligations under various disability laws. Individuals with disabilities are a protected class under civil rights laws, and it is the one protected class that anyone can join, usually involuntarily, at any point in their lives.
The information in this book is intended solely as informal guidance and is neither a determination of your legal rights or responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act or other laws, nor binding on any agency with enforcement responsibility under the ADA and other disability-related laws.īut for Wendy, this little book would not exist.ĭisability law is an area of law that overlaps with many other areas of law – including employment law, administrative law, elder law, consumer law, construction law, insurance law, school law, health law, social security law, and civil rights law.
You can reach your regional ADA Center via a national toll free hotline at 1-80 (voice/TTY) or visit the ADA National Network website at The Southwest ADA Center would like to thank Nancy Horton, LaWanda Cook, Alan Goldstein, Sharan Brown, Irene Bowen, Marilyn Golden, Kathy Gipps, Sharon Brent, Lillian Sutton-Mbionwu, Betty Siegel, Peter Berg, Kleo King, Pam Williamson, and the ADA Knowledge Translation Center at the University of Washington for their assistance in producing this handbook. The centers serve a variety of audiences, including businesses, employers, government entities, and individuals with disabilities. The Southwest ADA Center is part of a national network of ten regional ADA Centers that provide up-to-date information, referrals, resources, and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It is funded by a grant (#H133A110027) from the Department of Education’s National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).
The Southwest ADA Center is a program of ILRU (Independent Living Research Utilization) at TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston, Texas. You should consult an attorney for advice about your particular situation. This handbook is intended to inform rather than to advise, and the information provided is of a general nature. Individual state laws may impose more stringent obligations. This handbook is a broad overview of rights and obligations under federal disability laws.
( Printer-friendly PDF version | 853 KB) The ADA National NetworkĪ program of ILRU Acknowledgements Foreword The Americans with Disabilities Act: An Overview Employment and the ADA State and Local Governments and the ADA Public Accommodations and the ADA Communication and the ADA Transportation and the ADA Service Animals and the ADA Ticketing, Reservations, and the ADA Rehabilitation Act Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Housing Social Security and Disability Air Travel Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act Resources Statute and Regulation Citations