The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990: Implications for Rehabilitation Counselors, Employers, and Persons with Disabilities

This paper provides a basic overview of the employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), which mandates equal access, protection, and opportunity for persons with disabilities in four major areas: employment, telecommunication, transportation, and public services and accommodations. It notes that the employment provisions of ADA require that the hiring and employment policies of employers with more than 25 employees be nondiscriminatory, and that employers provide reasonable accommodation to the known limitations of a qualified person with a disability. It is suggested that, in view of the widespread changes in hiring and employment practices likely to result from ADA, rehabilitation counselors may be called upon to play several roles in helping employers to comply with this legislation, including: (1) understanding a job applicant's functional limitations; (2) determining the reasonable accommodations that may be used with a particular job applicant; (3) identifying incentive programs to help employers with the costs of providing accommodation; and (4) identifying a pool of potential job applicants with disabilities. Possible implications resulting from enactment of the ADA for employers, rehabilitation professionals, and persons with disabilities are suggested, and references are included. (TE)