Question: What is the Americans with Disabilities Act?
Answer: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is the
disability related law with which many Americans are most familiar. One part of
the ADA, Title I, 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, job assignments, pay, benefits, job training, and other
employment practices. This part of the law also requires that employers and
other specified persons and organizations provide reasonable accommodation to the known disability of a qualified applicant or employee if it would not impose and "undue hardship" on the operations of an employer's business. Other parts of the ADA apply to state and local
government services and employment, public accommodations, transportation, and
telecommunications. The
Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has primary responsibility for
enforcing the employment-related portions of the ADA, although other Federal
agencies, such as DOL's Office of Federal
Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), also have responsibilities under
those portions of the law.
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