ADA 33

What is the Americans with Disability Act or ADA?

The ADA is a 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 law is broken down into 5 parts or sections.

Title I – Employment

Title II – Public Services: State and Local Government

Title III – Public Accommodations and Services Operated by Private Entities

Title IV – Telecommunications

Title V – Miscellaneous Provisions

What is the purpose of the law?

The law gives people with disabilities the same rights as other “classes” of people like race, sex, color, national origin, age, and religion.

Why is this law so important?

The law makes sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. They could no longer be denied access to jobs, schools, or transportation. It also made sure that private businesses that are open to the public, like restaurants and movie theaters also had to be accessible.

History of the Law

It was signed on July 26, 1990, by President George H.W. Bush.

The bill was first introduced in Congress in 1988, and then went through several drafts, revisions, negotiations, and amendments before it was finalized in 1990.