Americans with Disabilities Act
The 1990 civil rights law that bars discrimination against people with disabilities
Overview
Signed by President George H. W. Bush in July 1990 after years of activism that included the Capitol Crawl, in which disabled protesters pulled themselves up the steps of the Capitol, the ADA prohibits disability discrimination in employment, state and local government services, public accommodations, and telecommunications. Employers and businesses must provide reasonable accommodations and remove barriers when doing so is readily achievable, which reshaped buildings, transit, and workplaces with ramps, accessible restrooms, and relay services. After Supreme Court decisions narrowed who counted as disabled, Congress passed the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 to restore a broad definition of disability.
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