What is the Americans with Disabilities Act?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 is a civil rights statute (hereinafter referred to as the Act) that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. There are five separate Titles (sections) of the Act relating to different aspects of potential discrimination. Title II of that Act specifically addresses the subject of making public services and public transportation accessible to those with disabilities. With the advent of the Act, designing and constructing facilities for public use that are not accessible by people with disabilities constitutes discrimination.The Act applies to all facilities, including both facilities built before and after 1990. As a necessary step to provide a transition plan that provides accessibility under the ADA, state and local government, public entities or agencies are required to perform self-evaluations of their current facilities, relative to the accessibility requirements of the ADA. The agencies are then required to develop a Transition Plan (hereinafter referred to as the Plan), to address any deficiencies. The Plan is intended to achieve the following:

1. Identify physical obstacles that limit the accessibility of facilities to individuals with disabilities;
2. Describe the methods to be used to make the facilities accessible;
3. Provide a schedule for making the access modifications; and
4. Identify the public officials responsible for implementation of the Plan.