Important and Interesting Facts about the ADA
Many people know about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but they don’t really understand it. If you have a family member with a disability, it is important to understand some important facts about this law.
Get A 100% Free CASE EvaluationFact 1 – The Disabilities Act includes mental disabilities as well as physical disabilities.
This law prevents discrimination on the basis of disabilities, and it can include various mental disabilities such as intellectual issues or post-traumatic stress disorder. Furthermore, the disability does not need to be permanent or even severe.
Fact 2 – It also requires public entities to provide accessible facilities.
All new construction must conform to specific guidelines to provide accessibility to people who have a disability. Older construction must be altered to accommodate those as much as possible if it does not cause an undue hardship on the property owner.
Fact 3 – Title II of the Disabilities Act includes public housing.
Public housing must be accessible to people who meet the requirements to be included in the ADA. Alterations must be made to allow a person with a disability to live in the unit as long as it does not cause undue hardship to the property owner. For example, a child with a disability may require grab bars in the shower, which are easy and inexpensive to install. This would be considered a reasonable accommodation.
Fact 4 – It also includes coverage for service animals.
A business must allow a service animal to accompany a disabled person onto its premises. The person may not be segregated due to this accommodation, and the business cannot ask what the disability is. There can be no additional charges for providing accommodation to the person.
Fact 5 – The Act provides requirements that telecommunications companies must provide services for people that fall under the Act.
This act requires telecommunications companies to provide services that offer accommodations for those, most generally a loss of hearing or speech impairments. An example of this law in action is a child watching a television program with closed captioning because they cannot hear.In essence, the ADA requires all people with disabilities that are covered under the act to be treated fairly and given the same opportunities as others. If you have a loved one who is disabled and are unsure if a business or organization failed to follow the stipulations, you can contact an attorney to determine if your family member’s rights have been violated.
Sources:
https://www.eeoc.gov/facts/fs-ada.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americans_with_Disabilities_Act_of_1990