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Subjects › Legal › Americans with Disabilities Act
Updated 02/2012

Americans with Disabilities Act

Contents

Introduction

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed July 26, 1990 as Public Law 101-336 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 12101 et seq ) and became effective on January 26, 1992. The ADA is landmark federal legislation that opens up services and employment opportunities to the 43 million Americans with disabilities. The law was written to strike a balance between the reasonable accommodation of citizens' needs and the capacity of private and public entities to respond. It is not an affirmative action law but is intended to eliminate illegal discrimination and level the playing field for disabled individuals.

The law is comprised of five titles that prohibit discrimination against disabled persons within the United States. Titles I and II are the primary sections that affect local governments.

Title I prohibits employers, including cities and towns, from discriminating against qualified job applicants and workers who are or who become disabled. The law covers all aspects of employment including the application process and hiring, training, compensation, advancement, and any other employment term, condition, or privilege.

Title II prohibits state and local governments from discriminating against disabled persons in their programs and activities. Title II also sets forth the applicable structural accessibility requirements for public entities.

Title III prohibits private enterprises who provide public accommodations and services (e.g., hotels, restaurants, and transit systems) from denying goods, services and programs to people based on their disabilities. Title III also sets forth the applicable structural accessibility requirements for private entities.

Title IV makes available telecommunications devices and services for the hearing and speech impaired. These regulations spell out certain mandatory minimum standards telephone companies must maintain to be in compliance with the ADA.

Title V includes some miscellaneous provisions that relate to the construction and application of the ADA, including alternative dispute resolution.

This webpage is intended to provide local officials with documents and information to help clarify understanding and implementation of the law. There is one source of information, the ADA Document Portal, that provides comprehensive access to statutes, regulations, opinions, and guides regarding the ADA; if you are unable to find an answer to your questions from the resources set out below, the ADA Document Portal might prove helpful. Of course, local officials are encouraged to contact the Municipal Research and Services Center for assistance.

Legal References

Statutes

Regulations

General/Introductory References

Employment (ADA Title I)

Title I prohibits employers, including counties, cities, towns and other local governments, from discriminating against qualified job applicants and workers who are or who become disabled. The law covers all aspects of employment including the application process and hiring, training, compensation, advancement, and any other employment term, condition, or privilege.

State and Local Governments (ADA Title II)

Title II prohibits state and local governments from discriminating against disabled persons in their programs and activities. Title II also sets forth the applicable structural accessibility requirements for public entities.

Sidewalks under the ADA

  • Barden v. City of Sacramento - Sidewalks must be accessible under the ADA

    • A three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled in the case Barden v. City of Sacramento in 2001 that sidewalks installed and maintained by local governments must be accessible to persons with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). (The Ninth Circuit serves the state of Washington.) Under the decision, the city of Sacramento, California was advised that not only must it provide curb ramps at intersections on newly-constructed or remodeled roadways and walkways, it must have a program which will assure the accessibility of all its sidewalks between curb ramps. The ruling means that governments will be obligated to remove barriers from their sidewalks, such as benches, wires, cracks, breaks, and sign posts, if their presence poses a barrier to the accessibility of the sidewalk to, for example, persons using wheelchairs or those with sight impairments. The decision is based upon the court's holding that the operation of sidewalks is a municipal "service, program, or activity" under the ADA and that maintaining a public sidewalk is a "normal function of a governmental entity." The city appealed the decision to the United States Supreme Court which in June 2003 rejected the appeal without comment.

  • Sidewalk Design Guidelines and Existing Practices, prepared by the Federal Highway Commission - Addresses accessibility issues
  • Curb Ramps and Pedestrian Crossings Under Title II of the ADA, Chapter 6 of the ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Governments, prepared by the Department of Justice, 05/07/2007 - Tool kit for state and local governments
  • Pedestrian Facilities (Adobe Acrobat Document), Chapter 1510 of the Washington State Department of Transportation Design Manual, 07/2011 - Provides standards for pedestrian facilities in accordance with ADA requirements
  • Seattle ADA Curb Ramp Installation Requirements (Adobe Acrobat Document), 02/02/2011 - Requirements to make curb ramps accessible when alterations are made to a pedestrian walkway
  • Bellevue's ADA Sidewalk and Curb Ramp Compliance Program (Adobe Acrobat Document), 2010 - A report discussing the process Bellevue used to determine the accessibility of its sidewalks and curbs

Public Accomodations and Services (ADA Title III)

Title III prohibits private enterprises who provide public accommodations and services (e.g., hotels, restaurants, and transit systems) from denying goods, services and programs to people based on their disabilities. Title III also sets forth the applicable structural accessibility requirements for private entities.

Washington Sample Documents

Although the Americans with Disabilities Act is the law of the land, some jurisdictions have adopted policies affirming their commitment to aims of the law and establishing procedures and forms to implement the law's requirements. The following are examples of general policies and notices; the fact that some of the documents are older than others does not detract from their usefulness, since many of the policies have been unchanged since the law's adoption in 1990.

Additional References

  • Selected MRSC Library Holdings
  • Americans With Disabilities Act Home Page, the U.S. Department of Justice ADA Home page
  • ADA Information Center, prepared by the Rocky Mountain ADA Center, a member of the National Network of ADA Centers, funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), a division of the U.S. Department of Education.
  • The Access Board - A federal agency devoted to accessible design; newsletter, resources, rules
  • ADA Information Services, prepared by the Department of Justice - Links to agencies involved with the ADA
  • ADA Document Portal, U. S. Department of Education - Resource/link to over 7,000 ADA documents
  • ADA Technical Assistance Program - Resource for information on the Americans with Disabilities Act, accessible information technology, and more
  • Disability Resources Monthly - An excellent comprehensive newsletter prepared by Disability Resources, a nonprofit organization that provides information about resources for independent living. The newsletter provides great links to assistance available within the state of Washington.
  • Job Accommodation Network - The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a free service of the Office of Disability Employment Policy of the U.S. Department of Labor.
  • ADA Library, Jobs Accommodation Network - ADA Hotlinks and Document Center
  • ADA Technical Assistance Program - A comprehensive resource for information on the Americans with Disabilities Act and accessible information technology
  • Disability Rights online News - A bi-monthly update about the Civil Rights Division's activities in the area of disability rights