Definition - What does Americans with Disabilities Act mean?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal mandate enacted in 1990 protecting individuals with disabilities against discrimination and covering areas such as education, employment, public accommodations, and transportation. The ADA is comprised of five subsets called titles that represent key points of public life. The law was introduced to favor disabled persons on equal grounds of similar identities such as age, color, ethnicity, gender, race, and religion.

SureHire explains Americans with Disabilities Act

Because disabled persons are likely to encounter unfair treatment in life, the ADA promotes universal standards in different areas to prevent unlawful action. Employers with fifteen or more staff members are legally required to grant equal employment opportunities to individuals with disabilities who meet qualifications.

However, employers retain exclusive rights of their own during the hiring process and/or employee status in terms of making reasonable accommodations. For instance, ADA title I stipulates that adaptations and/or modifications be made to existing working conditions unless the employer finds the change(s) an undue hardship.

According to ADA guidelines, employers are prohibited from inquiring whether an applicant and/or employee has a specific medical condition or disease. It is the responsibility of the employee to alert their employer about any disability that limits or interferes with performing job duties and tasks, allowing employee and employer to compromise on a solution.

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