laws & accessibility part 1. overview and americans with disabilities act (ada) support for this...
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LAWS&
ACCESSIBILITYPart 1. Overview
and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Support for this work cam from NSF grant DUE 0088807 for the development of accessible design curriculum material. (Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.)
© Robert Erlandson, 2003
College of Engineering, Wayne State University
Federal Laws dealing with accessibility have spawned a collection of guidelines covering products and services that impact most industries and businesses while touching the lives of all people, in one way or another.
Yet accessible and universal design concepts and principles are not finding their way into engineering educational programs. This represents a serious knowledge gap – one that needs to be addressed.
The three laws which deal most directly with the accessibility of products and services are:
•Americans with Disabilities Act a major civil rights law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability in the private and public sectors.
•Telecommunications Act (Section 255) requires access to new telecommunications and customer premises equipment where "readily achievable."
•Rehabilitation Act Amendments amends section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act to ensure access to electronic and information technology in the Federal sector.
Laws
http://www.access-board.gov/indexes/aboutindex.htm
Discipline Laws
Elec
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Civi
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Indu
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Chem
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Tech
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Busin
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Americans with Disabilities Act
X X X X X X X X X X
Telecommunications Act – Section 255
X X X X X X
Rehabilitation Act Amendments -Section 508
X X X X X X
Federal Laws and the Engineering Disciplines Impacted
“The ADA recognizes and protects the civil rights of people with disabilities … prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race and gender.
The ADA covers a wide range of disability, from physical conditions affecting mobility, stamina, sight, hearing, and speech to conditions such as emotional illness and learning disorders.”
The Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) of 1990
http://www.access-board.gov/about/ADA.htm
The ADA addresses:
•Title I - access to the workplace
•Title II - State and local government services
•Title III - places of public accommodation and commercial facilities
•Title IV - requires phone companies to provide telecommunications relay services for people who have hearing or speech impairments (title IV)
http://www.access-board.gov/about/ADA.htm
ADA Jobs & Workplace
The ADA (Title I) deals with:
•jobs
•essential functions of jobs
•reasonable accommodations
•use of assistive technology
•accessible design
•universal design
Americans with Disabilities Act: Jobs & Workplace
Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
prohibits private employers, state and local governments, employment agencies and labor unions
From discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities in job application procedures, hiring, firing, advancement, compensation, job training, and other terms, conditions and privileges of employment.
http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/fs-ada.html
An individual with a disability is a person who:
Has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities
Has a record of such an impairment
Is regarded as having such an impairment
A qualified employee or applicant with a disability
is an individual who,
with or without
reasonable accommodation,
can perform the essential functions of the job in question.
Reasonable accommodation may include, but is not limited to:
•Making existing facilities used by employees readily accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities
•Job restructuring, modifying work schedules, reassignment to a vacant position
•Acquiring or modifying equipment or devices, adjusting modifying examinations, training materials, or policies, and providing qualified readers or interpreters
An employer is required
to make an accommodation to the known disability of a qualified applicant or employee
if
it would not impose an "undue hardship" on the operation of the employer's business.
Undue hardship
is defined as
an action requiring significant difficulty or expense when considered in light of factors such as an employer's size, financial resources and the nature and structure of its operation.
An employer is not required
·to lower quality or production standards to make an accommodation
·nor is an employer obligated to provide personal use items such as glasses or hearing aids
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
Titles II & IIIThe building guidelines cover places of public accommodation, commercial facilities, and State and local government facilities.
http://www.access-board.gov/about/ADA.htm
Accessibility guidelines for transit vehicles and provides technical assistance and training on these guidelines.
The vehicle guidelines address buses, vans, a variety of rail vehicles, trams, and other modes of public transportation.
http://www.access-board.gov/about/ADA.htm
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
Titles II & III
Subpart B-Buses, Vans and Systems
· 1192.21 General.
· 1192.23 Mobility aid accessibility.
· 1192.25 Doors, steps and thresholds.
· 1192.27 Priority seating signs.
· 1192.29 Interior circulation, handrails and stanchions.
· 1192.31 Lighting.
· 1192.33 Fare box.
· 1192.35 Public information system.
· 1192.37 Stop request.
· 1192.39 Destination and route signs.
ADA: Transportation
http://www.access-board.gov/transit/html/vguide.htm
Subpart C-Rapid Rail Vehicles and Systems
Subpart D-Light Rail Vehicles and Systems
Subpart E-Commuter Rail Cars and Systems
Subpart F-Intercity Rail Cars and Systems
· 1192.127 Sleeping compartments.
Subpart G-Over-the-Road Buses and Systems
· 1192.159 Mobility aid accessibility.
· 1192.161 Moveable aisle armrests.
Subpart H-Other Vehicles and Systems
· 1192.173 Automated guideway transit vehicles and systems.
· 1192.175 High-speed rail cars, monorails and systems.
· 1192.177 Ferries, excursion boats and other vessels. [Reserved]
· 1192.179 Trams, similar vehicles, and systems.
http://www.access-board.gov/transit/html/vguide.htm
ADA: Transportation
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The ADA mandates that information sources be accessible.
In the past, this need was met with Braille texts, large print, captioning, and other types of aides.
With the introduction of the World Wide Web and other telecommunications-related information sources, however, many businesses and communities are falling short of meeting their ADA obligations for the accessibility of information sources including web-based resources.
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