Overview of the American Disabilities Act (ADA)

What did you learn this week that you did not know before or that you found interesting? What outside resources did you use this week? Your submission should be 1 page APA formatted paper, not including your title page.

I grew up in the 70s and 80s; a time when every building, every walkway and certainly every restroom was geared toward able bodied individuals. I heard stories of my mom having to help my wheelchair-bound great-grandmother out of her chair, into a ladies room stall and then back into her chair. Certain shops were outside my great-grandmother’s ability to frequent because the door to get in was too narrow for her wheelchair or the building had to be accessed by climbing steps. If these are a few of the obstacles my great-grandmother had to overcome, I can only imagine how people who are blind, deaf, or even small statured managed to live in a world that was designed for people with two good eyes, two good ears and five feet, five inches tall. This is why I’m thankful for the Americans with Disabilities Act.Overview of the American Disabilities Act (ADA)

The American Disabilities Act (ADA) is an all-encompassing civil statute with the magnitude of a constitutional amendment. It requires equal accessibility to interact with society and equal opportunity for gainful employment. This means that restaurants offer menus in Braille. It may also means an office adjusting a workspace for an employee in a wheelchair (The Center for an Accessible Society, 2014).