Americans with Disabilities Act

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The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a US federal law of 1990. Based on the Civil Rights Act of 1964 , the ADA provides equality for people with disabilities . The ADA prohibits discrimination by companies and government institutions against people with disabilities in employment, in the workplace, in the supply of goods and services, including transportation, public housing, and telecommunications.

Background and origin

In the United States, the disability movement became a politically influential force in the 1970s. As early as 1973, the US Congress passed comprehensive statutory regulations for the equality of people with disabilities in the Rehabilitation Act . Building on this, the US Congress passed the far more comprehensive Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) . The ADA aims to make facilities, services and activities accessible to all people with disabilities.

Democratic Senator Tom Harkin , Iowa, introduced a draft to the Senate on May 9, 1988 . After two years of deliberations in Congress, the ADA came into effect on July 26, 1990, with the signature of President George HW Bush .

President Bush signs the resolution to bring the ADA into effect. Left to right: Evan Kemp, Harold Wilke, George HW Bush, Sandra Parrino, Justin Dart

In 2008 the ADA was further developed by an amendment after the US Supreme Court restricted the scope of application to certain forms of disability.

Content of the ADA

The ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities when hiring and working, when using public facilities and services, when using public transport and when using telecommunications facilities. It also obliges states, municipalities and cities. Lawsuits for violation of the ADA can be filed by both private individuals and the state. Various departments and agencies (e.g. National Council on Disability ) are active at the federal level as complaints offices or for the implementation of the ADA.

The ADA is divided into five titles: Employment (Title I), Public Services (Title II), Accommodation (Title III), Telecommunications (Title IV) and Miscellaneous (Title V).

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