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Americans With Disability Act Essay

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The signing of the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990, was one of the largest gatherings for the signing of a piece of legislation in the history of the United States. It passed Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support. President George H.W. Bush hailed the bill as an unambiguous civil rights achievement. The ADA expands civil rights to disabled individuals similar to those provided to on the basis of race, gender, age, and religion. It is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life. The intent of the ADA is to ensure equal access to programs and services for those who are disabled. It seeks to do so by fostering employment opportunities, …show more content…

An individual needs to only be substantially limited in one major life activity to be protected by the ADA. The second part covers individuals with a record of an impairment. For example, a person who has recovered from a mental illness or cancer. Impairments that are in remission or episodic still meet the definition of a disability. The third part protects individuals who are regarded as having an impairment, even though they may not actually have one. Being regarded as disabled has more to do with how the individual is perceived, and the effects of those perceptions on the individual. Some specific examples of disabilities listed in the ADA include: deafness, blindness, intellectual disability, partially or completely missing limbs, mobility impairments, autism, cancer, cerebral palsy, diabetes, epilepsy, HIV infection, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and schizophrenia (ADA, 2013). Individuals are considered disabled with or without the effects of mitigating measures. These measures can include medication, coping skills, prosthetics or a hearing aid. Anything that would allow a person with a disability to function at a higher level than they would without them. Essentially, even when a disability is controlled through mitigating measures, it still qualifies as a disability. Workplace Compliance Title one of the ADA is designed to

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