ADA stands for the Americans with Disabilities Act. This landmark federal civil rights law, enacted in 1990, prohibits discrimination based on disability and requires equal access to employment, public accommodations, government services, public transportation, and telecommunications - including websites.
Essential information about America's disability rights law at a glance
Signed into law July 26, 1990
Americans with disabilities
Website lawsuits filed in 2023
Level AA compliance required
ADA is an acronym that stands for the Americans with Disabilities Act. This comprehensive federal civil rights law was signed by President George H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990, marking a turning point in disability rights in America.
The ADA's mission is to ensure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else, prohibiting discrimination and requiring equal access to employment, public services, public accommodations, and telecommunications.
The ADA protects qualified individuals with disabilities, defined as someone who:
This includes conditions like blindness, deafness, mobility impairments, cognitive disabilities, chronic illnesses, and many others affecting over 61 million Americans.
The ADA is organized into five titles that address different aspects of civil rights and accessibility
Prohibits discrimination in all employment practices and requires reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.
Covers state and local government services, programs, and activities, including public transportation and government websites.
Prohibits discrimination in places of public accommodation, including businesses open to the public and their websites.
Requires telephone and internet companies to provide relay services for individuals with hearing and speech disabilities.
Contains provisions relating to the ADA as a whole, including relationship to other laws and state immunity.
While the ADA doesn't explicitly mention websites, courts consistently reference WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the standard
Over 4,000 federal ADA website lawsuits filed
Courts reference WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the benchmark
Proactive compliance reduces lawsuit risk significantly
Don't risk expensive ADA lawsuits. WebAbility automatically ensures your website meets ADA compliance standards with our intelligent accessibility solution.