NIRCC: ADA

ADA

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990. The ADA guidelines presented in this section provide “best practices” to remove mobility barriers to ensure inclusive participation by all residents and visitors to employment, education, public services, medical facilities, recreational opportunities and social events, essentially to all areas both public and private that are open to the general public. The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life. Provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act must be met by local public agencies to be eligible for federal assistance and grants. But most importantly, it supports livable communities that provide equal opportunity and access to all citizens. The Northeastern Indiana Regional Coordinating Council (NIRCC) created this page to serve as a resource for Local Public Agencies (LPA) as they work toward meeting the appropriate ADA provisions.

All government agencies are required to do a self-evaluation (take inventory) of their programs for discrimination and compliance (but are not required to do a transition plan). The inventory must be made available for public comment. In addition all LPAs are required to publish their nondiscrimination notice and complaint policy.

Government agencies with at least 15 employees (including full-time, part-time and volunteer employees, elected officials and contractual employees) are required to do a self-evaluation (collection of inventory) of their programs (current services, policies, and practices)for discrimination and compliance; are required to have a designated official (coordinator) responsible for their ADA compliance; and they must also have a grievance/compliance procedure. The inventory must be made available for public comment. In addition they are required to publish their nondiscrimination notice and grievance/compliance procedure.

Government agencies with 50 or more employees (including full-time, part-time and volunteer employees, elected officials and contractual employees) are required to complete an ADA Transition Plan as stated in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.
To remain eligible for federal transportation funding, LPAs are being reminded that they need to be in compliance and have updated their transition plans. The goal is to ensure that LPAs have a specific plan of action by December 2011, and have reviewed and completed their updated ADA transition plans by December of 2012. The 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) stipulated that every public agency with more than 50 employees have an ADA Transition Plan completed by January 26, 1995. ADA Transition Plans are documents that identify physical obstacles that limit the accessibility of facilities to people with disabilities and provide a schedule for the removal of those obstacles.