EXPLORE YOUR U. S. CONSTITUTION

The Archive

Reference Library

The founding document as written, a plain overview of the seven Articles, and a glossary of archaic and legal terms.

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Civil Rights & Voting

Americans with Disabilities Act

Enacted: 1990

Signed into law by

George H. W. Bush

In brief

Prohibited discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, government services, public accommodations, and telecommunications.

The Act in depth

Signed by George H. W. Bush on July 26, 1990, the ADA extended the model of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to Americans with disabilities. Title I covers employment; Title II covers state and local government services; Title III requires public accommodations to be accessible and to provide reasonable modifications; Title IV addresses telecommunications. The Supreme Court has interpreted the ADA extensively, from Olmstead v. L.C. (1999) — requiring community-based services where appropriate — through the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, which Congress passed to overturn several restrictive Court decisions.

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