Welcome back to our weekly accessibility tips. We continue with our series explaining the accessibility laws that apply from kindergarten to grade 12.

These are:

• The Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• Individuals with disabilities education Act (Idea)
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

In this week's accessibility tips, we will explain the basics of the Americans with Disabilities Act, also known as ADA.

What is ADA?

ADA is a civil rights law passed in 1990 and amended in 2008. Its goal is to provide equal opportunities and equal access to community life for individuals with disabilities.

It is composed of five titles.

The Five Titles of ADA

Employment:

Prohibits disability discrimination in all hiring processes. It also requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for their employees.

State and Local Government Accessibility:

Requires state and local government entities to provide accessibility in their physical facilities and services and programs.

Public Accommodations Accessibility:

Requires public places (such as hotels, restaurants, and other businesses) to provide accessibility in their physical facilities and programs. This title also obliges movie theaters to offer certain accessibility services, such as closed captions and audio descriptions when showing digital formats. It also specifies the number of captioning and audio description devices that each theater must have.

Telecommunications:

Requires telecommunications companies to provide functionally equivalent services to individuals with disabilities.

Miscellaneous Provisions:

This title provides protection against retaliation for individuals exercising their rights under ADA.

What Does ADA Require of Public Schools?

• Ensure access to programs in the most integrated setting possible, unless separate programs are required to ensure equal services or benefits.
• Reasonable modifications to policies, practices, and procedures.
• Provide aids and auxiliary services to ensure effective communication.
• Ensure that programs are accessible and usable by individuals with disabilities.

Examples of aids and auxiliary services:

• Verbalization of material on the board.
• Preferred seating for students with disabilities.
• Materials in alternative formats.
• Use of CART devices for lessons.

Examples of reasonable accommodations:

• Service animals.
• Extended test times when speed is not being measured.
• Modifying the number of allowed absences in a school year when absences are related to the student's disability.