A Guide to Disability Rights Laws.docVIP

A Guide to Disability Rights Laws September 2005 TABLE OF CONTENTS Americans with Disabilities ActTelecommunications ActFair Housing ActAir Carrier Access ActVoting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped ActNational Voter Registration ActCivil Rights of Institutionalized Persons ActIndividuals with Disabilities Education ActRehabilitation ActArchitectural Barriers ActGeneral Sources of Disability Rights InformationStatute Citations ? For persons with disabilities, this document is available in large print, Braille, audio tape, and computer disk. Reproduction of this document is encouraged. ? ? This guide provides an overview of Federal civil rights laws that ensure equal opportunity for people with disabilities. To find out more about how these laws may apply to you, contact the agencies and organizations listed below. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, State and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications. It also applies to the United States Congress. To be protected by the ADA, one must have a disability or have a relationship or association with an individual with a disability. An individual with a disability is defined by the ADA as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment. The ADA does not specifically name all of the impairments that are covered. ADA Title I: Employment Title I requires employers with 15 or more employees to provide qualified individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to benefit from the full range of employment-related opportunities available to others. For example, it prohibits discrimination in recruitment, hiring, promotions, training, pay, social activities, and other pri