What is the ‘Americans with Disabilities Act?’

The Americans with disabilities act or the ADA refers to an act with five separate titles created to protect the rights of disabled individuals, and makes society more accessible to them. A person who has a disability and is protected by the ADA may have:

• A physical or mental disability that interferes with one or more of their life’s’ major activities,
• A person who has a record of their impairment,
• The person who is regarded as having an impairment.

Title 1

Title 1: Refers to businesses and employers, this title states that all jobs are made available to those who have a disability. This includes making modifications to the work areas and enhancing any accessibility options that are already in the workplace. It also states that those with disabilities be given the same preference to jobs as those without disabilities.

Title 2

Title2: Refers to public services, or public transport. Any public transport companies either government owned or private cannot deny their services to people because they have disabilities. All public transport must have accessibility for disabled people. Drivers of public transport vehicles are not allowed to give preference to those without disabilities.

Title 3

Title 3: Refers to public accommodations, which are restaurants, hotels and grocery stores. These places either government or privately owned must modify their premises in order to accommodate people with disabilities.

Title 4

Title 4: Refers to telecommunication companies. Any telecommunication company offering its services to the general public must provide relay services, such as TTY’s or similar devices for the deaf.

Title 5

Title 5: Refers to Miscellaneous. Any person or company is prohibited from threatening or retaliating against those with disabilities, or those helping those with disabilities in asserting their rights, according to the ADA guidelines.

The ADA:  A Summary

The ADA has been put in place to offer people with disabilities the right to live normal lives and join in with society regardless of their limitations.  

What if You Need an ADA Attorney?

If you are a person who is subject to the provisions of the ADA, you may have found yourself in a position where you are seeking to enforce your rights under the ADA.  If that is the case, you definitely will want to hire a lawyer who specializes in ADA cases.  Because the ADA is such a technical piece of legislation, it is very important that you do hire a lawyer who understands fully the ins and outs of this law.

In this regard, the Internet can be an invaluable tool for you in your search for a qualified attorney.  There are now a number of very well run websites in operation on the Internet and World Wide Web that provide useful lawyer directory and lawyer search services.  By accessing these sites, you will be able to effectively identify those lawyers who have experience in the ADA, in protecting the rights of clients under the terms of the ADA.

Once you have identified a few attorneys who practice in the area of ADA law, you will want to obtain references and interview this attorneys to determine which lawyer will best be able to meet your particular set of legal needs and requirements.