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What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?
What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?
Updated over a week ago

ADA is the Americans with Disabilities Act and was signed on the 26th of July 1990 by President George H.W. Bush. ADA prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life.

The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) was signed into law in 2008 and took effect on January 1, 2009. There were several significant changes made to the definition of "disability" in the ADAAA. These changes are applicable to all titles of the ADA. Here are summary of the titles:

Title I (Employment)

Equal Employment Opportunity for Individuals with Disabilities

Title II (State and Local Government)

Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in State and Local Government Services

Title III (Public Accommodations)

Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability by Public Accommodations and in Commercial Facilities.

Title IV (Telecommunications)

This title requires telephone and Internet companies to provide a nationwide system of interstate and intrastate telecommunications relay services that allows individuals with hearing and speech disabilities to communicate over the telephone.

Title V (Miscellaneous Provisions)

The final title contains a variety of provisions relating to the ADA as a whole, including its relationship to other laws, state immunity, its impact on insurance providers and benefits, prohibition against retaliation and coercion, illegal use of drugs, and attorney’s fees.

Many courts today rule that many websites are public accommodations, which are defined in Title III of the ADA, even though the act does not specifically mention compliance with websites. Therefore, thousands of private companies face legal action from plaintiffs alleging an inaccessible website is a Title III violation.

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