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Williams Sound
Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) Summary
On July 26, 1990, President George Bush signed the American with
Disabilities Act (ADA S.933) into law. The ADA is a comprehensive
bill designed to end discrimination against persons with disabilities
and to provide full accessibility for persons with disabilities,
including communication disabilities for those needing hearing
assistance. Following is a summary of relevant ADA requirements
and guidelines that are specific to those needing hearing assistance:
AREAS OF ADA REGULATION CONCERNING HEARING ASSISTANCE:
PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS:
ADA Requirements: "no person shall be discriminated
against on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment
of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages and
accommodations of any place of public accommodation." Discrimination
includes: (1) Failure to provide auxiliary aids and services unless
the entity can demonstrate that such a provision would fundamentally
alter the nature of the program or cause an undue hardship. (2)
Failure to remove architectural and communication barriers in
existing facilities unless the entity can demonstrate that the
change is not readily achievable. No exemptions have been made
for small businesses.
FACILITIES AFFECTED: Virtually all privately owned businesses
that provide goods and services to consumers, clients, or visitors.
Categories include:
1- an inn, hotel, or similar place of lodging
2- a restaurant, bar, or other establishment serving food or drink
3- a motion picture house, theater, concert hall, stadium, or
other place of exhibition or entertainment
4- an auditorium, convention center, or lecture hall
5- a bakery, grocery store, clothing store, hardware store, shopping
center, or other similar retail sales establishment
6- a laundromat, dry cleaner, bank, barber shop, beauty shop,
travel service, shoe repair service, funeral parlor, gas station,
office of an accountant or lawyer, pharmacy, insurance office,
professional office of a health care provider, hospital, or other
similar service establishment
7- a terminal used for public transportation
8- a museum, library, gallery, or other similar place of public
display
9- at a park or zoo
10- a nursery, elementary, secondary, undergraduate, or postgraduate
private school
11- a day care center, senior citizen center, homeless shelter,
food bank, adoption program, or other similar social service center
12- a gymnasium, health spa, bowling alley, gold course, or other
similar place of exercise or recreation
13- theme parks, sports facilities and stadiums, fraternal lodges
and organizations, convention centers, recreational facilities,
state and national parks
For facilities that have more than 50 fixed seats, 4% of the
seats must be accessible for hearing assistance. For facilities
that have less than 50 fixed seats, the guidelines call for 4%
of the seats to be accessible, but not less than two seats.
Exclusions:
1- Entities operated by Federal, State, or Local Governments.
These are covered by the Rehabilitation Act, with provisions similar
to ADA
2- Private clubs, and other facilities not open to the public
3- Religious organizations or entities
4- Residential accommodations, such as apartments or small, owner-resided
inns
Effective: January 1992 (18 months after enactment)
For more information contact the ADA Information line at 800-514-0301
or access the official US Dept. of Justice home page for the ADA
www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm
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