The Americans with Disabilities Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act strives to ensure a more inclusive society and to remove stereotypes that may get in the way of people who have disabilities as they participate in the daily life of our communities.


What is the Americans with Disabilities Act?

Enacted in 1990, The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a powerful civil rights law that gives children and adults with disabilities the right to work, live, and play in the community with the same opportunities as people without disabilities. According to the ADA, reasonable modifications must be made to policies, practices, and procedures when necessary to ensure equal opportunity and equal access to people with disabilities. (The ADA does not require changes that would fundamentally alter the nature or purpose of a program or the goods or services that an organization provides.) For example: a local recreation area does not allow animals on their grounds but must allow a service or guide dog to accompany a person with a disability.

The ADA protects people with disabilities in employment, public accommodations, transportation, state and federal government services, and telecommunications. Any policies that would tend to screen out people with disabilities from participation, membership, or inclusion is unlawful under the ADA (unless necessary for the provision the fundamental nature of activities, goods, or services). Additional requirements may not be imposed upon people with disabilities that are not imposed on others. For example: a person with a cognitive disability cannot be required to be accompanied by an assistant or parent.

For more information or assistance concerning the ADA:
Contact IHDD at (706) 542-3457 or contact @IHDD.uga.edu
or Nancy Duncan at the Georgia ADA Exchange, Inc. at (770) 451-2340.