History

• Congress enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. This legislation affects many types of organizations that provide services regulated by the federal government. For example, organizations providing education, social services, public access and other federally-sponsored programs must comply with ADA regulations.
  
  

Features

• ADA centers provide resources on the national website and on regional websites. Professionals working in different industries can use the Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center (DBTAC) network to find training by industry and by location. For example, the Mid-Atlantic ADA Center offers many resources for hospitality workers. You can learn how to provide hospitality and customer service to people with disabilities and how to provide access to hotels, motels and restaurants.
  
  

Considerations

• Many federal agencies regulate and enforce ADA issues. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, these federal agencies include the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Transportation, the Telephone Relay Service, the Access Board, the Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Agriculture.
  
  

Help

• Newcomers to ADA can get free technical assistance downloads from the ADA website. You can also call toll-free for assistance to the ADA Information Line, 800-514-0301.
  
  

Solution

• For introductory training to the Americans With Disabilities Act, the DBTAC provides a free online web tutorial. You can view the course in English or Spanish. Sample objectives of this intro course are to place ADA in the context of civil rights, explain nondiscrimination and point students to information resources concerning this important piece of legislation.