The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a comprehensive federal law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. ‘Program accessibility’ is a fundamental principle of Title II of the ADA. Public entities are required to make services, programs, and activities accessible to individuals with disabilities.
The ADA addresses the duty of certain organizations to accommodate people with disabilities. Following are some examples of accommodations:
- Providing free in-person and over-the-phone interpreters.
- Making changes to facilities to make them accessible – for example, installing an automatic door opener, or removing a threshold that is too high.
- Using equipment that is accessible.
- Modifying training materials – for example, preparing them in electronic format or large type.
- Using email or texting to communicate with people with hearing impairments.
- Ensuring parking, entrances, and restrooms are accessible.
- Providing audio recordings and speech transcription.
- Setting up web sites and online forms that are accessible.
- Offering services at a different location if physical barriers cannot be removed.
In addition to those measures, businesses and other organizations have created their own innovative solutions to address accessibility for people with disabilities. Some of the obstacles faced by disabled employees can be eliminated with flexwork arrangements, such as remote jobs and flexible schedules. Other times, a restructured workstation may be required. Read about 10 Companies with initiatives for professionals with disabilities.
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