The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991) prohibits disability-based discrimination in private places of public accommodation, employment, transportation, telecommunications, and other domains.Â
ADA accommodations for people with disabilities are changes to a workplace, public space, or commercial facility to ensure that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as people without disabilities.
Which Disabilities Does ADA Cover?
Disability, according to the ADA, is any physical or mental condition that impairs an individual from participating in major life activities. These include activities such as sitting, reading, walking, communicating and seeing.Â
Some examples of ADA disabilities include but are not limited to:
- Epilepsy
- Speech, visual, and hearing impairments
- Certain diseases
- Developmental disorders
The ADA Amendment Act of 2008 recommends that covered entities interpret the ADA broadly to include and protect as many people as possible.
Top Five ADA Accommodations for People with Disabilities
ADA accommodations for people with disabilities in a workplace are to integrate people with disabilities into a workplace. The top five ADA accommodations for people with disabilities to consider include:Â
Accessible Office, Transport, and Housing for People with Disabilities
ADA Title III establishes minimum accessibility standards for people with disabilities. It requires public accommodations to remove impediments in existing structures, where doing so is simple and inexpensive.
When designing a public accommodation such as an office, hotel, or apartment, it is best to plan with various accessibility needs in mind from the beginning. That way, you reduce the number of reasonable accommodation adjustments needed in the future. One such accommodation is incorporating a ramp at the entrance to your building.
Restructuring Job Functions
Job restructuring involves eliminating or reassigning marginal tasks that a person with a disability cannot do. For example, if your receptionist struggles with small fonts, a reasonable recommendation would be to assign any documents with small fonts to another person in exchange for some of the second employee’s roles.
Modifying Work Schedules and Allowing for Flexible Leaves for Persons with Disabilities
Depending on the disability, a person might need particular leave policies or work schedules to fit in their unique medical treatments, rest periods, repair of their special equipment, and training in assistive equipment, among others.
Special Office Equipment
The purpose of reasonable accommodations at a workplace is to increase the efficiency and productivity of its employees. Therefore, employers should do their best to accommodate employees with disabilities. For example, an employee with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADD might get distracted by the slightest external stimulus. Therefore, a reasonable accommodation would be to soundproof their office to reduce external noise during their working period.
Digital Accessibility
ADA accommodations in the digital space are to remove barriers to using websites for people with physiological or cognitive impairments. Some improvements to make your website more accessible include:
- Adding alt tags that describe your images to people with visual impairments
- Sharing information through different media forms, such as written, audio, and visual
- Aiming for a high readability score to make your articles understandable to people with limited intellectual capacities
Applied Development Advocates for the Rights of People with Disabilities
At Applied Development, we champion the rights of people of all abilities to work and communicate effectively. Our diversability services, which include sign language interpretation, CART services, reader services, advocacy, and outreach aim to assist people in properly communicating in different settings and ensure that you meet reasonable accommodations.
Contact us today for more information about ADA accommodations for people with disabilities. You can also reach us directly at 410.571.4016.