ADA

WHAT IS THE ADA?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) recognizes and protects the civil rights of people with disabilities. Elkhart County strives to make our facilities and services available to all citizens including those with disabilities.

ELKHART COUNTY IS PROUD TO BE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

We value diversity in the workplace. Men and women of all ages, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, religious and political affiliations, national origins, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990

The ADA recognizes and protects the civil rights of people with disabilities and is modeled after earlier landmark
laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race and gender. The ADA covers a wide range of disability, from
physical conditions affecting mobility, stamina, sight, hearing, and speech to conditions such as emotional illness
and learning disorders. The ADA addresses access to the workplace (Title I), State and local government services
(Title II), and places of public accommodation and commercial facilities (Title III). It also requires phone companies to provide telecommunications relay services for people who have hearing or speech impairments (Title IV) and miscellaneous instructions to Federal agencies that enforce the law (Title V). Regulations issued under the different titles by various Federal agencies set requirements and establish enforcement procedures. To understand and comply with the ADA, it is important to follow the appropriate regulations.

Under Titles II and III of the ADA, the Board develops and maintains accessibility guidelines for buildings, facilities, and transit vehicles and provides technical assistance and training on these guidelines. The ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) serve as the basis of standards issued by the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Transportation (DOT) to enforce the law. The building guidelines cover places of pulic accommodation, commercial facilities, and State and local government facilities. The vehicle guidelines address buses, vans, a variety of rail vehicles, trams, and other modes of public transportation. Regulations issued by DOJ and DOT contain standards based on ADAAG and also provide important information on which buildings and facilities are subject to the standards. It is important that the regulations be used along with the design standards they contain or reference.