Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Question 1

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Answer 1

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a landmark civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in various areas of public life. Below is a comprehensive overview of the ADA’s requirements and policies:

Question 2

Scope of the ADA

Answer 2

The ADA applies to the following areas:
* Employment (Title I)
* State and Local Government (Title II)
* Public Accommodations (Title III)
* Telecommunications (Title IV)
* Miscellaneous Provisions (Title V)

Question 3

Disability: defined

Answer 3

• A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
  
  • A history of such an impairment.
  • Being regarded as having such an impairment.

Question 4

Qualified Individual: defined

Answer 4

• Someone who meets the skill, experience, and education requirements of a job and can perform the essential functions with or without reasonable accommodation.

Question 5

ADA Title I: Employment

Answer 5

Applies to employers with 15 or more employees and includes the following requirements:
Prohibited Discrimination
* Employers cannot discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities in:
* Recruitment, hiring, promotions, or terminations.
* Compensation, training, or other employment privileges.

Question 6

Reasonable Accommodations

Answer 6

• Employers must provide reasonable accommodations unless doing so poses an undue hardship (significant difficulty or expense). Examples include:
  
  • Modifying work schedules.
  • Adjusting or acquiring equipment.
  • Providing assistive technology.
  • Reassigning non-essential job duties.
  • Allowing service animals at work.

Question 7

Interactive Process

Answer 7

• Employers and employees must engage in a dialogue to determine effective accommodations.

Question 8

Medical Examinations and Inquiries

Answer 8

• Employers cannot ask about disabilities before making a job offer.
• Post-offer inquiries must be job-related and consistent with business necessity.

Question 9

ADA Title V: Miscellaneous Provisions

Answer 9

• Prohibits retaliation or coercion against individuals asserting their ADA rights.
• Includes rules for insurance, drug testing, and other broader applications.

Question 10

Key Employer Obligations

Answer 10

1. Reasonable Accommodations:
   
   • Employers are not required to lower performance standards.
   • Employers must provide accommodations unless it causes undue hardship.
2. Confidentiality:
   
   • Employers must keep medical information confidential.
3. Job Descriptions:
   
   • Clearly define essential functions of each role to manage accommodation requests.

Question 11

Missouri-Specific Requirements

Answer 11

• Covers employers with 6 or more employees (compared to 15 under ADA).