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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]