Understanding ADA Laws and Regulations — ADA Signs Shop
The Basics of Understanding ADA
What kind of wholesale ADA sign shop would we be if we didn’t take the time to talk about the Americans With Disabilities Act? We did briefly touch on the history of ADA in our ADA Signs Basics blog post, but we felt it was important to expand more on some of the rules and regulations for those who are interested. But these are things that everyone should know, not just those with disabilities. There are many Acts underneath the Disabilities Rights Laws that you can find on the ADA website, but for now, we will be focusing on the Americans With Disabilities Act.
The History
The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H.W. Bush. This is one of the most comprehensive pieces of civil rights legislation to date, outlining discrimination against the disabled community, and the guarantee that they would have the same rights as everyone else.
This was modeled after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits the discrimination of those who are of a different race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
Does this Act apply to you?
Does this Act apply to you?
In order to be protected by the ADA, you must have a disability (obviously), but that doesn’t necessarily mean it is only a physical one. It is defined by the ADA as having a physical or mental disability/impairment, that makes it difficult for someone to perform certain activities. One example of this would be the issue of mobility, some are unable to go to certain places without assistance whether it be from other people or ADA-compliant elevators and buildings.
ADA Titles
Now that we have the history and whether it is applicable to someone or not out of the way, let’s talk about the different titles that are covered within the ADA.
Title I: Employment
This specific title requires employers with 25 or more employees to provide qualified people with disabilities the same opportunities that are available to others. This includes access to training, equal pay, and social activities in the workplace. It also restricts the types of questions employers can ask about the person’s disability before hiring them. Employers also have to make reasonable accommodations for those employees, so they are able to continue working without difficulty or extreme limitations.
Title II: State and Local Government Activities
This covers the activities of every state and local government regardless of their size or the amount of federal funding they receive. This entitles those with disabilities the equal opportunity to benefit from certain programs and sessions others are able to attend. This includes the relocation of certain events if they are in a building that is non-compliant, creating materials for those who are hard of hearing or visually impaired, and more.
Under Title II, there is also public transportation. Public transportation authorities are prohibited from discriminating against someone who is disabled and all public transport must be compliant. This includes working lifts and ramps for buses and trains.
Title III: Public Accommodations
Title III covers businesses and nonprofit service providers that are public accommodations. This also includes privately operated entities offering cert courses and examinations. Also, those who lease privately owned buildings or operate them such as restaurants, retail stores, theaters, private schools, etc. These accommodations must comply with nondiscrimination requirements that prohibit things like exclusion and segregation. They must comply with specific ADA regulations as well
Title IV: Telecommunications Relay Services
This addresses telephone and TV access for people with hearing and speech disabilities. The requirements include common telephone carriers to establish TRS 24/7. TRS enables callers with these impairments who use TTYs and those who use voice telephones to communicate with one another without third-party assistance. It also requires closed captioning of federally funded PSAs.
As previously stated, this is just one of the many Acts that fall underneath the umbrella of disabilities laws and regulations.
ADA Signs Shop specializes in custom wholesale ADA signs for your office, apartment complex, and more! We use high-grade materials and have experienced workers who create these signs. Visit us at adasigns.shop to order your signage today.
Originally published at https://adasigns.shop on December 31, 2020.
