Accessibility After the ADA
Thanks to the ADA, People With Disabilities Can…
Come on in.
Public buildings, such as schools, workplaces, medical facilities, and government institutions, must be accessible to people with disabilities. These buildings now feature accessible doors, accessible restrooms, ramps, elevators, and curb cuts on sidewalks.
Be part of the conversation.
Public entities must work to effectively communicate with people with disabilities. Methods to improve/facilitate communication include interpreting services, screen reader software, real-time captioning, telephone access, and alternative formats for information such as braille and audio.
Actively participate in medical care.
Healthcare providers must make reasonable accommodations such as modifying procedures and policies to meet a patient’s needs, finding ways to clearly communicate to ensure that the information delivered is understood by the patient, and having facilities that allow for physical access.
Get on board.
Public and private ground transportation services must accommodate passengers with disabilities. These accommodations include providing accessible schedule information, adequate time to board, priority seating, allowance of service animals, and fully functioning lifts, ramps, and wheelchair straps. (Air travel is not part of the ADA and is covered by the Air Carrier Access Act.)
Get a job.
Employers may not discriminate based on disability in any aspect of employment including hiring, termination, promotions, pay, and training. Employers must also provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions, such as modified work schedules and equipment and by ensuring the job site is accessible.
Vote unimpeded.
Polling places are required to be accessible buildings per the ADA, but the ADA does not cover voting rights. However, the ADA influenced the 2002 Help America Vote Act and subsequent laws to make voting more accessible. The process of registering to vote and voting itself—whether in person or with an absentee ballot—must be accessible, including the use of a Voter Assist Terminal (VAT) that displays ballots electronically.
Be a part of their communities.
Due to the ADA’s requirements for accessible spaces and transportation, people with disabilities are able to be out and about in their communities rather than isolated at home. Whether pursuing adaptive recreation, having coffee with a friend, attending a support group, or just getting some sunshine, the ADA has helped ease the isolation that too many people with disabilities feel.
Be empowered.
The ADA fundamentally changed life for people with disabilities, but there is still more work to do. For example, even though the ADA requires accessible transportation, those services don’t exist everywhere, especially in rural areas. The same thing goes for job opportunities and accessible buildings. Many disability rights activists fought to get the ADA passed and a new generation of activists continue to advocate for the needs of people with disabilities.