Americans with Disabilities Act

In 1990, Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to provide equal protection under the law to disabled citizens, who are not identified in the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 or 1991 as a protected group. The ADA covered various aspects of daily life for the disabled, addressed under the following titles:

• Title I: Employment
• Title II: Public Services
• Title III: Public Accommodations
• Title IV: Telecommunications
• Title V: Miscellaneous Provisions

This entry considers only Title I, on employment.

Title I of the ADA was intended to strengthen the existing Rehabilitation Act of 1973 by making language more specific and by including private-sector employers under the previous umbrella of the Rehabilitation Act. It provided standards for enforcement of the law and charged government with the responsibility for enforcement. The ADA is administered ...