Americans with Disabilities Act

The ADA is a federal act, which ensures disabled individuals enjoy the same protections and procedures afforded to people who are discriminated against on the basis of their race, color, religion, gender or national origin. Any private business that employs 15 or more people must comply with the act's mandates as they relate to the job application process, hiring, advancement, discharge, compensation, training, recruitment, advertising, job descriptions, sick leave, benefits, etc. This list is not all-inclusive, by any means.

The ADA was amended with the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments of 2008, which was signed into law on Sept. 25, 2008, and the modifications became effective on Jan. 1, 2009. The ADAA changes the way courts will evaluate whether an individual is disabled for ADA purposes in several significant ways. Moving forward, case law and other specific guidelines which interpreted the definition of disability under the prior law will largely be useless in determining who is covered under the new law.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces the ADA and failure to comply can be costly. An employee who sues successfully under the ADA can recover any combination of compensatory damages, punitive damages, back pay, interest, lost benefits, attorney's fees or injunctive relief. So not only is compliance with the act the right thing to do, it can save you a lot of money.

Related QuickSource documents

Four-state resources

QS90341 - The ADA may require more than you realize

Additional resources

Information and technical assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act
10 things you may not know about the ADA
Disability resources—Americans with Disabilities Act
Facts about the Americans with Disabilities Act
Enforcement guidance: pregnancy discrimination and related issues
Fact sheet for small businesses: pregnancy discrimination

FAQs

http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/regulations/ada_qa_final_rule.cfm
http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/faqs/ADAfaqs.htm
Questions and answers about the EEOC's enforcement guidance on pregnancy discrimination and related issues