Americans with Disabilities Act

Definition

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a landmark civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. The ADA's goal is to ensure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The ADA was signed into law in 1990 and is considered one of the most comprehensive civil rights laws in the world.
2. The ADA prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities in all aspects of employment, including job application procedures, hiring, firing, advancement, compensation, job training, and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.
3. The ADA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities, unless doing so would cause undue hardship.
4. The ADA covers a wide range of disabilities, including physical, sensory, cognitive, intellectual, mental health, and certain chronic conditions.
5. The ADA has been amended over time, most notably in 2008, to expand the definition of disability and provide greater protections for individuals with disabilities.

Review Questions

• Explain how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) aims to bring about civil rights change for individuals with disabilities.
  • The ADA is a landmark civil rights law that aims to bring about change by prohibiting discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including employment, transportation, public accommodations, and more. The ADA ensures that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else, requiring employers to provide reasonable accommodations and making it illegal to discriminate based on disability. By mandating equal access and opportunity, the ADA has been instrumental in advancing the civil rights of individuals with disabilities and promoting their full participation in society.
• Describe how the ADA has been amended over time to expand protections for individuals with disabilities.
  • The ADA has been amended several times, most notably in 2008 with the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA). These amendments were enacted to broaden the definition of disability and provide greater protections for individuals with disabilities. The ADAAA rejected court decisions that had interpreted the definition of disability narrowly, making it harder for people to be covered under the law. The amendments also clarified that the definition of disability should be construed in favor of broad coverage of individuals. Additionally, the ADAAA expanded the list of 'major life activities' that are considered when determining if an individual has a disability. These changes have significantly expanded the scope of the ADA and strengthened its ability to bring about civil rights change for people with disabilities.
• Analyze how the reasonable accommodation requirement of the ADA has been instrumental in promoting equal employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
  • The reasonable accommodation requirement of the ADA has been a crucial component in promoting equal employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. By mandating that employers provide reasonable modifications or adjustments to the work environment or job duties, the ADA enables qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of a job. This can include things like providing assistive technology, restructuring job duties, or allowing flexible scheduling. The reasonable accommodation provision acknowledges that individuals with disabilities may require different approaches to achieve the same level of productivity and success as their non-disabled peers. By requiring employers to make these accommodations, unless doing so would cause undue hardship, the ADA has been instrumental in breaking down barriers to employment and advancing the civil rights of people with disabilities in the workplace.

Related terms

Disability: A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a record of such an impairment, or being regarded as having such an impairment.

Reasonable Accommodation: Modifications or adjustments to the work environment or to the way things are customarily done that enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of a job.

Equal Employment Opportunity: The right of all persons to apply and be considered for job vacancies without discrimination based on a protected characteristic, such as disability.