The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Summary:

This page briefly describes the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 with links to additional information.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guarantees equal access and removal of barriers so that people with disabilities can fully participate in society. The ADA directly relates to students with disabilities in that school boards may not discriminate against persons with disabilities or exclude them from participation, or deny benefits of programs, services or activities to persons with disabilities, including transportation services.

One area of ADA related to accommodations for students with disabilities is the section on facilities and barrier free environments. For existing facilities, a school district must make its services accessible and usable for its students. This means that as a whole, the full range of programs and services is available to everyone (28CFR36.150). An existing facility can be brought into compliance by a variety of structural changes, such as curb cuts, ramps, elevators, and proper signage. New facilities and existing facilities undergoing alterations are held to different standards. These facilities must meet either the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards or the ADA Standards for Accessible Design (July 1, 1994).

Resource

ADA Home Page, U.S. Department of Justice Web site http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm

Legal Basis | ESEA | IDEA | Section 504 | Eligibility