Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the broadest law regarding disabled persons to date, was enacted in 1990.  President George W. Bush signed it in a ceremony on the White House lawn, which was attended by thousands of disability rights activists. The law's comprehensive coverage specifies that all levels of government must be accessible, that programs be accessible, and that public accommodations such as restaurants and stores make "reasonable modifications." The act also mandates access in public transportation, communication, and in other areas of public life.  The major difference between the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act is that the ADA applies to every type of government, organization or establishment, where the Rehabilitation Act applied only to federal government programs.

Notable Supreme Court Cases:

• Bragdon v. Abbott, 524 U.S. 624 (1998) - in this case, the Court held that those with HIV are covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 even if they have not yet manifested visible symptoms or illness.
• Murphy v. United Parcel Service, Inc., 527 U.S. 516 (1999) - here, the Court explained how to determine whether an impairment "substantially limit[ed]" a major life activity under the ADA.

Selected Library Resources:

• Dianne B. Hopper, Anne Marie Estevez and Beth S. Joseph, Public Accommodations Under the Americans with Disabilities Act: Compliance and Litigation Manual, KF5709.3 .H66 2003
• Ruth O’Brien, Voices from the Edge: Narratives about the Americans with Disabilities Act, KF480.Z9 V65 2004
• Mark C. Weber, Disability Harassment, KF480 .W43 2007
• Doris Zames Fleischer, The Disability Rights Movement: From Charity to Confrontation, HV1553 .F58 2001
• Fred Pelka, What We Have Done: An Oral History of the Disability Rights Movement, KF480 .P45 2012
• Disability Law in the United States - A Legislative History of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 - HeinOnline
• W. Sherman Rogers, The ADA, Title VII, and the Bar Examination: The Nature and Extent of the ADA's Coverage of Bar Examinations and an Analysis of the Applicability of Title VII to Such Tests, 36 Howard L.J. 1 (1993). - HeinOnline
• Westlaw - Legislative History - Americans With Disabilities Act
• Westlaw - Disabilities and the Law
• Westlaw - Public Accommodations Under the Americans with Disabilities Act  
• Westlaw - Workplace Accommodations Under the ADA

Additional Resources:

• Introduction to the ADA, U.S. Department of Justice
• Timeline, The Disability Rights and Independent Living Movement
• A History of the Disabilities Rights Movement