# Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA): Meaning, History, and Impact

## What Is the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 is a law that provides comprehensive civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities. The ADA made it illegal to discriminate against people with disabilities in terms of employment opportunities, access to transportation, public accommodations, communications, and government activities.

The ADA prohibits private employers, state and local governments, employment agencies, and [labor unions](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/labor-union.asp) from discriminating against those who have disabilities. Under the ADA, employers are also required to make reasonable accommodations for an employee with a disability to perform their job function.

### Key Takeaways

*   The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990 to prevent workplace and hiring discrimination against people with disabilities.
*   The ADA applies to all private businesses with 15 or more employees.
*   It also covers government employers, employment agencies, and labor unions.
*   The ADA also had the effect of increasing accessibility and mobility for people with disabilities by mandating automatic doorways, ramps, and elevators to accommodate wheelchairs in public places and businesses.

## Understanding the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)

To be covered by the ADA, a person must have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Four major sections comprise the primary protections introduced by the ADA.

Title I of the law prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities during [job application](https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0711/9-different-ways-to-find-a-new-job.aspx) procedures, hiring, firing, the pursuit of career advancement, compensation, job training, and other aspects of employment. It holds authority over employers who have 15 or more employees.

Title II applies to state and local government entities. This part of the law further extends the protection from discrimination to qualified individuals with disabilities. It requires that these individuals have reasonable access to services, programs, and activities provided by the government.

> **Fast Fact**
>
> The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 allowed for a broader legal definition of “disability.” It made it easier for people seeking protection under the ADA to establish that they have a disability. Before the amendment, people with disabilities including cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and learning disabilities could be excluded from ADA coverage. 

Title III prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities regarding access to activities at public venues. This includes businesses that are generally open to the public, such as restaurants, schools, daycare facilities, movie theaters, recreation facilities, and doctors’ offices.

The law also requires newly constructed, rebuilt, or refurbished places of public accommodation to comply with ADA standards. In addition, Title III applies to commercial facilities that include privately owned, nonresidential facilities such as factories, warehouses, or office buildings.

Title IV oversees telephone and television access for individuals with hearing and speech disabilities. Common carriers, such as telephone companies, are required to establish interstate and intrastate telecommunications relay services (TRS) 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Different government agencies play a role in enforcing the ADA. The [Equal Employment Opportunity Commission](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/equal-employment-opportunity-commission-eeoc.asp) (EEOC) enforces Title I. The [Department of Labor](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/dol.asp) enforces state and local government services under Title II and public accommodations under Title III. Title IV is enforced by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

## How the Americans With Disabilities Act Increased Accessibility 

The ADA established standards for accessible design for public accommodations that include creating automatic doorways, ramps, and elevators to accommodate wheelchairs. Water fountains must be made available at heights that individuals with disabilities can reach.

Some examples of accommodations in the workplace include supplying a hearing-impaired applicant with a sign language interpreter during a job interview, modifying a work schedule to meet the needs of a person who needs treatment, or restructuring an existing facility to make it readily accessible to people with disabilities.

> **Important**
>
> Websites are required by law to be accessible to people with disabilities and must comply with ADA accessibility standards.

An employer is not required by the ADA to make reasonable accommodations if doing so presents an undue hardship for the business and requires significant expenses compared with the size of the company.

Title IV of the ADA requires telephone companies to provide telephone relay services, or similar devices, for the hearing- and speech-impaired.

## What Does the Americans With Disabilities Act Do?

The Americans with Disabilities Act seeks to prevent discrimination against people with disabilities in the areas of employment, communication, transportation, state and government programs, and public accommodation. It seeks to ensure people with disabilities are able to participate equally in everyday life.

## Is Anxiety Covered by ADA?

Yes, anxiety disorders are covered by the ADA and are considered disabilities. If you suffer from anxiety disorders, you are not allowed to be discriminated against in the workplace or any other area of your life.

## What Are the Types of ADA?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is broken down into four main sections: Title I, which covers employment; Title II, which covers public entities and transportation; Title III, which covers public accommodations and public facilities, and Title IV, which covers telecommunications.

## The Bottom Line

The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed with the goal of ensuring Americans with disabilities are guaranteed equal opportunities to participate in mainstream life. This includes laws against the discrimination of people with disabilities in regard to employment, transportation, communication, public accommodations, and government activities. The act has done much to further the lives of individuals with disabilities.

> **Article Sources**
>
> 1.  ADA National Network. "[An Overview of the Americans With Disabilities Act](https://adata.org/factsheet/ADA-overview)."
>     
> 2.  ADA.gov. “[A Guide to Disability Rights Laws](https://www.ada.gov/cguide.htm).”
>     
> 3.  U.S. Department of Labor. “[Americans with Disabilities Act](https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/disability/ada).”
>     
> 4.  ADA Site Compliance. "[Websites Must Be Accessible According to the ADA](https://adasitecompliance.com/websites-must-accessible-according-ada/)."