Americans with Disabilities Act [ADA]

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Signed into law on July 26, 1990, the ADA is a wide-ranging civil rights law that prohibits, under certain circumstances, discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which made discrimination based on race, religion, sex, national origin, and other characteristics illegal.

Related Articles:
  • Glossary: Certification of Equivalency [CoE]
    A final certification that a State or local building code meets or exceeds the minimum requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title III for accessibility and usability of facilities covered by that Title
  • Glossary: Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers [DBTACs]
    Former name for the ten regional centers on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the ADA National Network funded by National Institute on Disability Rehabilitation and Research (NIDRR) to provide information, training and technical assistance on the ADA in all 50 U.S. States and surrounding territories.
  • Glossary: Department of the Interior [DOI]
    Federal agency whose Civil Rights Division handles Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
  • Glossary: Department of Justice [DOJ]
    Federal agency that has the authority to enforce all provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but focuses primarily on ADA Title II (public services by State and local government) and ADA Title III (public accommodations).
  • Glossary: Department of Transportation [DOT]
    Federal agency which, in cooperation with the U.S. Access Board, develops standards for transportation vehicles, including over-the-road buses, under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
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