eVisa: Americans with Disabilities Act 16th Anniversary

Posted: July 26, 2006

This historic disability rights legislation was the first comprehensive declaration of equal rights for people with disabilities, and since its implementation has become a worldwide model. Although many doors have been opened since the landmark ADA was signed into law, much work remains.

Several obvious signs of improvement are in the elimination of physical barriers in schools, office buildings and other public areas. And employers can no longer ask applicants about disabilities or as a contingency for a job application. Employers with 15 or more workers are required to provide "reasonable accommodations" to enable employees with disabling conditions to maintain the same high level of productivity as their peers.

But just as these doors are opening, opponents are trying to limit the ADA's scope and federal government downsizing and outsourcing have resulted in a marked decrease in the number of people with disabilities in the federal workforce. And government should be leading the way, demonstrating that people with disabilities can and should be highly effective in the workplace.

» Statement by Tony Coelho, ADA author and Chair, Board of Directors

» ADA: An Overview

» ADA: Job Skills for a Changing Workplace

» Jeanne A. Carpenter Epilepsy Legal Defense Fund

This eVisa is a publication of the Epilepsy Foundation and is made possible by an unrestricted educational grant by: