AmericanswithDisabilitiesAct-LoyolaUniversityNew.ppt

Americans with Disabilities Act Law and Poverty History of ADA Act of 1990 –Section 504 Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 USC 791) – called Section 504 Section 504 prohibited discrimination vs handicapped in a. any federal program or activity b. any program or activity receiving federal funds Section 504 Coverage a. handicapped individual b. otherwise qualified to participate c. excluded solely for reason of handicap d. program or employer RECEIVES FEDERAL ASSISTANCE Section 504 Definition of handicapped a. a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual b. a record of such impairment c. being regarded as having such an impairment Section 504 to ADA Limited coverage of Section 504 leads to ADA Congressional Purpose of ADA Congress was presented with information about people with disabilities: i. SSD SSI related programs cost tens of billions annually ii. 82% of the disabled say they would rather work iii. 43 million people meet the acts definition of disability Congressional Purpose ADA The purpose of the ADA ... is to provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate to end discrimination against individuals with disabilities and to bring those individuals into the economic and social mainstream of American life. Coverage of ADA Congress estimated 43 million persons have one or more physical or mental disabilities as defined in statute ADA Definition of Disability Continues Section 504 ADA adopts same definition of disability as definition of handicap in Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and generally is not to be interpreted in any way to lessen the standards of Section 504. ADA Definition of Disability A: a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such an individual; or B. a record of such an impairment or e.g. person with history of physical or mental illness, even if impairment does not currently exist; e.g.