Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush. The ADA is a wide-ranging civil rights law that prohibits, under certain circumstances, discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which made discrimination based on race, religion, sex, national origin, and other characteristics illegal, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which ensures that no qualified individuals with disabilities are discriminated against under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance or government agencies that receive federal financial assistance. The ADA was amended when President George W. Bush signed into law the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) on September 25, 2008. The ADAAA gives broader protections for disabled workers and includes a list of impairments to major life activities.
The main sections of ADA include Title I – Employment; Title II – Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in State and Local Government Services; Title III – Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability by Accommodations and in Commercial Facilities; Title IV – Telecommunications; and Title V – Miscellaneous Provisions.
The Baltimore City Department of Transportation (BCDOT) is committed to a policy of full accessibility and does not discriminate in the provision of any of its business activities. The City of Baltimore is committed to upholding the intent and spirit of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to the fullest extent possible. This commitment extends to all programs, services, and activities of the BCDOT, such that no qualified individual with a disability shall be discriminated against on the basis of his or her disability. It is BCDOT’s responsibility and desires that no person be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity supported by BCDOT based on their disability, as provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. It is also the responsibility of each and every BCDOT employee to work cooperatively to achieve the goals and objectives of this statement. BCDOT is fully committed to the goal of achieving equal opportunity and non-discrimination for all persons in their interactions with the City of Baltimore.