Qualified individuals, reasonable accommodations, undue
hardship, fundamental alteration – these terms associated
with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are a far cry from
the simplicity of the ABCs, and cause much confusion for schools
tasked with complying with the statute. But there can be no
question that compliance with the ADA is the subject of increased
interest to federal and state governmental agencies nationwide, and
that more and more individuals are exercising their rights under
the ADA, particularly when it comes to seeking reasonable
accommodations.
Here are the ABCs of the ADA.
Overview
At its core, the ADA is a federal statute that prohibits
discrimination against qualified individuals with a disability. As
defined in the statute, the term "disability" is far
reaching and generally inclusive. Individuals are considered
disabled if they have a present physical or mental impairment that
substantially limits one or more major life activities
