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On the 29th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the author takes stock on what the Act has accomplished thus far and what still needs attention, as he reflects on Andrew I. Batavia's (Drew) discovered memoirs and his life mission as a disability activist. Drew was a person with a spinal cord injury who wrote regulations for the Act. As we celebrate the Act today we need to protect and advance these civil rights now and into the future so that all people can participate more fully in life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The slopes of fixed-route bus ramps deployed for wheeled mobility device (WhMD) users during boarding and alighting were assessed. Measured slopes were compared to the proposed Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) maximum allowable ramp slope.Methods: A ramp-embedded inclinometer measured ramp slope during WhMD user boarding and alighting on a fixed-route transit bus. The extent of bus kneeling was determined for each ramp deployment. In-vehicle video surveillance cameras captured ramp deployment level (street versus sidewalk) and WhMD type.Results: Ramp slopes ranged from −4° to 15.5° with means of 4.3° during boarding (n = 406) and 4.2° during alighting (n = 405). Ramp slope was significantly greater when deployed to street level. During boarding, the proposed ADA maximum allowable ramp slope (9.5°) was exceeded in 66.7% of instances when the ramp was deployed to street level, and in 1.9% of instances when the ramp was deployed to sidewalk level. During alighting, the proposed ADA maximum allowable slope was exceeded in 56.8% of instances when the ramp was deployed to street level and in 1.4% of instances when the ramp was deployed to sidewalk level.Conclusions: Deployment level, built environment and extent of bus kneeling can affect slope of ramps ascended/descended by WhMD users when accessing transit buses.Implications for RehabilitationSince public transportation services are critical for integration of wheeled mobility device (WhMD) users into the community and society, it is important that they, as well as their therapists, are aware of conditions that may be encountered when accessing transit buses.Knowledge of real world ramp slope conditions that may be encountered when accessing transit buses will allow therapists to better access capabilities of WhMD users in a controlled clinical setting.Real world ramp slope conditions can be recreated in a clinical setting to allow WhMD users to develop and practice necessary skills to safely navigate this environment.Knowing that extent of bus kneeling and ramp deployment level can influence ramp slope, therapists can educate WhMD users to request bus operators further kneel the bus floor and/or redeploy the ramp to a sidewalk level when appropriate, so that the least practicable slope will be presented for ingress/egress. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Academics and policy-makers focused on protecting older inmates (ages 50 and above) in US prisons from medical neglect, psychological problems, victimization by younger inmates, and functional decline as a result of excessive environmental strain have long advocated for their placement in age-segregated units and facilities. In response, proponents of age-integrated units and facilities have argued that age-segregation violates the integration mandate of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 because older inmates in age-segregation are not provided equal access to facilities and programs. This paper examines the age-segregation debate through an analysis of the social science and legal literature to include court cases, the ADA, the ADA Amendment Act of 2008, and the related 2010 federal regulations. Exceptions to the ADA's integration mandate are assessed for their ability to provide legal support for the practice of age-segregation. This paper concludes with recommendations for creating and maintaining fully and partially age-segregated units or facilities that would operate in compliance with the 2010 federal regulations while efficiently and effectively meeting older inmates' unique needs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article examines the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 20 years after its passage. It provides an overview of the history and major components of the ADA, examines who has disabilities and how they are faring, and traces how the ADA has evolved through court cases that have limited its scope. In addition, the article investigates abuse of the ADA, its economic impact, and the problems in defining a disability. Although the ADA is continuing to evolve, it requires significant change to live up to its magnificent promise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legal issues have increasingly come to the forefront in academic libraries in recent years. Most of these issues involve The Rehabilitation Act, Section 504 (1973) or Americans with Disabilities Act (1990), complaints related to discriminatory practices with regard to accommodations or assistive technologies. This article provides a brief synopsis of the particular clauses within the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) (ADA) pertaining to academic libraries and explains these clauses in clear lay terms. Office of Civil Rights complaints and court cases to illustrate the legal ramifications of the ADA for libraries are discussed. This article focuses on some of the cases that are most pertinent to issues related to providing appropriate accommodations for individuals with disabilities. Problem resolution strategies for resolving 504 and ADA complaints are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 has impacted social work agencies in numerous ways, One important but largely overlooked area of the policy is the essential functions provision, which requires agencies to delineate the principal aspects of the job in question, as well as the characteristics that employees must display to adequately fulfill these job demands. Social work administrators must be aware of the essential components for various positions, as well as the relationship of these job expectations to the policies' reasonable accommodation mandate. Most importantly, employers must understand their hiring and disciplinary decision-making process, and be aware of the extent to which they may make unwarranted presumptions about the negative impact of a disability condition on a particular individual's ability to adequately fulfill the functions of a position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Having diabetes can have profound implications for individuals in the workplace. Due to the increasing number of people who are diagnosed with this disease and the often complex treatment it requires, this issue continues to pose challenges for not only employees with this illness, but also for their employers. The 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was influential in promoting accommodations for and nondiscrimination against people with diabetes in the workplace. This article discusses 3 of the elements that can make it difficult for persons with diabetes to file a successful claim under the ADA. These important elements include employee disability status, the ability to perform essential job functions, and direct threat concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the correlation between the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the employment participation of people with disabilities. First, it discusses the methodological difficulties in measuring the ADA's impacts. Second, it describes a longitudinal study using Health and Retirement Survey data exploring changes in employment rates and odds of employment during the 1990s for older working-age people with disabilities. The findings show that while older people with disabilities had slightly lower employment rates than older people without disabilities during the 1990s, the odds that older people with disabilities would be employed has increased since the passage of the ADA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A seldom-discussed element of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 provides a degree of employment protection to the relatives and close associates of persons with disabilities, if these relatives or associates have been subject to adverse employment action because of this relationship. This paper describes this “third-party discrimination,” and analyzes important court cases related to it. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) protects students with disabilities from discrimination by academic and professional programs in higher education. A student with a disability cannot be denied admission to an educational program because of his or her disability if the student is otherwise qualified. This means that a student with a disability who is qualified for an academic or professional educational program cannot be denied admission to a program based solely on the student's disability. This educational requirement mandated by the ADA applies to all educational fields including social work education. The purpose of this study was to explore how social work programs are dealing with these requirements in their admission and academic accomodation procedures. Twelve social work programs located in the mid-western United States participated in the study. Representatives of each of these programs were given an in-depth interview focusing on their admissions process, academic accomodations, and general topics related to social work education and disabilities. All programs taking part in the research were accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The CSWE is the national accreditation body for social work education within the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This research found a high incidence of violence among homeless women with emotional disabilities. The study reports that 82 percent of the homeless women with emotional disabilities had a history of violence in their lives. The most common form of violence was physical; the least common was sexual abuse. The practice and policy implications for these findings are discussed. It is suggested that the Olmstead v. L. C. (1998) ruling under the Americans With Disabilities Act might force states to provide better services to homeless women with a history of violence and emotional disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This summary of United States Supreme Court decisions offers social workers and other human services professionals information on the impact that these decisions have on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Each court decision is noted followed by the question presented, the holding, and the implication of the decision. The reader will observe that a number of these decisions have restricted the impact of the ADA. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is the federal law upon which the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) is built. Both laws are designed to prevent discrimination against students with disabilities. This commentary offers a comparison of section 504 with the ADA. An analysis of the case law under Section 504 is also presented; this analysis provides guidelines that universities and colleges will have to follow under the ADA. The implications of the ADA are offered for social work programs in the areas of admission and retention of students with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The author concludes that Goffman's description of the difficulties involved in identity management for persons with disabilities are as true now as when Stigma was first written. However, Goffman was unaware of the interaction between disability and feminism when he wrote Stigma in 1963. Women with disabilities are subject to additional disadvantages in ways that many professionals may not recognize. Suggestions are offered for human services professionals when working with women who have disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) offer important legal protections for school age children. This commentary outlines those protections for special needs children in both public and private schools. Social workers need to be aware of the rights children with disabilities have under each law. This information is particularly helpful for those practitioners who wish to advocate for the educational needs of children with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act requires those offering public accommodations to make these equally available to all persons equally regardless of disabilities. The Circuit Courts of Appeals are split on whether Title III extends to non-physical spaces such as insurance policies, but no court has directly addressed the application of Title III to Internet Web sites. Under recently adopted Federal regulations, Section 508, the Federal Government must design all Federal Web sites to provide equal access to those with disabilities. This article explains that Web sites will probably eventually be required to be ADA compliant because they are public accommodations under Title III of the ADA. This article discusses the features that must be included in a Web site for it to be ADA compliant. For example, text labels must be provided for all graphics and all site functions must be keyboard activated. These features will permit the site to be used by persons with disabilities such as blindness who rely on screen-readers to permit access to the Internet. The article also discusses some of the drawbacks to ADA compliance such as expense and limitations on features normally included in Web sites. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]