what is the americans with disabilities act ada 
the americans with disabilities act ada of 1990 is a law that provides comprehensive civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities the ada made it illegal to discriminate against people with disabilities in terms of employment opportunities access to transportation public accommodations communications and government activities 1the ada prohibits private employers state and local governments employment agencies and labor unions from discriminating against those who have disabilities under the ada employers are also required to make reasonable accommodations for an employee with a disability to perform their job function 2understanding the americans with disabilities act ada to be covered by the ada a person must have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities four major sections comprise the primary protections introduced by the ada 2title i of the law prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities during job application procedures hiring firing the pursuit of career advancement compensation job training and other aspects of employment it holds authority over employers who have 15 or more employees 2title ii applies to state and local government entities this part of the law further extends the protection from discrimination to qualified individuals with disabilities it requires that these individuals have reasonable access to services programs and activities provided by the government 2the americans with disabilities act amendments act of 2008 allowed for a broader legal definition of disability it made it easier for people seeking protection under the ada to establish that they have a disability before the amendment people with disabilities including cancer diabetes epilepsy attention deficit hyperactivity disorder adhd and learning disabilities could be excluded from ada coverage title iii prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities regarding access to activities at public venues this includes businesses that are generally open to the public such as restaurants schools daycare facilities movie theaters recreation facilities and doctors offices 2the law also requires newly constructed rebuilt or refurbished places of public accommodation to comply with ada standards in addition title iii applies to commercial facilities that include privately owned nonresidential facilities such as factories warehouses or office buildings 2title iv oversees telephone and television access for individuals with hearing and speech disabilities common carriers such as telephone companies are required to establish interstate and intrastate telecommunications relay services trs 24 hours a day seven days a week 2different government agencies play a role in enforcing the ada the equal employment opportunity commission eeoc enforces title i the department of labor enforces state and local government services under title ii and public accommodations under title iii title iv is enforced by the federal communications commission fcc 3