The Americans with Disabilities Act
Signed July 26, 1990, the ADA is the landmark civil rights law protecting people with disabilities — including hearing loss — in work, public life, transportation and communication.
Watch: President Bush signs the ADA
"Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down." — President George H.W. Bush, South Lawn of the White House, July 26, 1990.
Source: U.S. National Archives / George Bush Presidential Library. YouTube captions available.
What the ADA covers
Title I — Employment
Employers with 15 or more workers may not discriminate against qualified people with disabilities and must provide reasonable accommodations, such as captioning or assistive listening devices.
Title II — State & local government
Public services, schools, courts and public transit must be accessible, including effective communication like sign language interpreters.
Title III — Public places
Businesses open to the public — stores, restaurants, hotels, theaters, doctors' offices — must remove barriers and communicate effectively with customers who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Title IV — Telecommunications
Created nationwide telephone relay services so people who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech-disabled can make calls, and required captioning of federally funded public service announcements.
Title V — Miscellaneous
Protects people from retaliation for asserting their rights under the law.
Learn more
- Introduction to the ADA — U.S. Department of Justice (ADA.gov)
- Disability discrimination at work — EEOC
General information only, not legal advice.