Americans with Disability Act Celebrates 26th Anniversary
Today marks the 26th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed by President George H.W. Bush in 1990.
The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private buildings and venues that are open to the general public. The purpose of this law is to guarantee that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.
In addition to the noticeable signs of ADA – such as Title III, which calls for accommodations in public and commercial buildings – the ADA also:
- Guarantees equal employment opportunities for people with disabilities
- Provides for nondiscrimination in state and local government services
- Establishes a process for Reasonable Accommodation
- Supports a nationwide system interstate and intrastate telecommunications relay services that allows individuals with hearing and speech disabilities to communicate over the telephone, and requires closed captioning of federally funded public service announcements.
