The Americans with Disabilities Act and the Responsibilities of An Employer

The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed by Presiden Bush on July 26, 1990. The law eventually will affect all private employers with 15 or more workers and all places and services open to the public. The ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, public services and transportations, public accommodations, and telecommunications services. Senator Robert Dole states: “I supported ADA from the beginning because 43 million disabled Americans deserve to be brought into the mainstream of American life‐to enjoy a meal at a restaurant, to see their favorite movie, to travel on public transportation, to communicate by telephone, or to cheer at a ballgame. The ADA's unmistakable message to America is that inequality and prejudice are unacceptable. The ADA's important message to people with disabilities is that your time has come to live independently with dignity, to exercise your rights to participate in all aspects of American life” [2, p. xiii].