[From my July 29 article in the Colchester Bulletin]
This past Monday marked the 20th anniversary of the landmark legislation that ushered in a new era of equal access for a large segment of our population. On July 26, 1990 Congress signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which sought to ensure that disabled individuals have every opportunity to live, work, learn and play as the rest of the community. Over the years, it has had a significant and positive impact on how parks and recreation services are delivered and facilities are developed, opening the doors to increased health benefits for a whole new audience.
This far reaching law covers five areas: employment, public services, public accommodations, telecommunications and a miscellaneous category covering a number of areas. In one form or another, each of these sections has had impacted our field, with many examples right here in Colchester.
Perhaps one of most well-known and beneficial effects of this law is to create a level playing field with regards to the hiring process. Since the implementation of the ADA, employers are no longer permitted to discriminate based on disability when selecting candidates. If a potential employee is capable of performing the essential job tasks with reasonable accommodations, then the employer is required to make such adjustments. These accommodations can include such things as making a work site accessible, modifying a piece of equipment, or providing readers or interpreters.
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