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November 7, 2004    DOL Home > ODEP > Publications > Small Business Owner

Small Business Owner: Are You Ready for ADA? (Americans with Disabilities Act)

About the Law

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) extends to people with disabilities civil rights similar to those available to other groups of Americans. Title I of the act prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of disability.

Familiarity with ADA will help owners and operators of small businesses to use their knowledge of the law to advantage in finding, interviewing and hiring qualified people with disabilities.

On July 26, 1992, the employment provisions (Title I) of the Americans with Disabilities Act became effective for all employers with 25 or more employees.

On July 26, 1994, this law becomes effective for all employers with 15 or more employees.

This document is designed to provide small businesses with a checklist of recommended employment practices that effectively support implementation of ADA. The questionnaire was prepared by the Employer Committee of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities (now the Office of Disability Employment Policy).

Test Your Knowledge

The following questions are based on successful employment practices identified by the employer committee. They are designed to help small businesses determine if they understand the intent and provisions of ADA.

  1. Do you provide information to job applicants and current employees about their rights under ADA?
  2. Have you informed managers and supervisors about their responsibilities under ADA?
  3. Do your recruiting efforts extend to non-traditional sources, including organizations that serve people with disabilities?
  4. Have you reviewed your employment practices and procedures to assure that they do not discriminate against applicants or employees with disabilities?
  5. Are your interview sites and workplace facilities accessible to people with disabilities?
  6. Do you provide reasonable accommodations for applicants during the selection process and for employees as needed?
  7. Can you identify the essential functions of your jobs, and do your interview questions focus on the applicant's ability to perform them?
  8. Do you administer medical examinations only after an offer of employment is made?
  9. If you have medical records, do you keep them in separate, confidential files?
  10. If you have collective-bargaining agreements, do they support ADA implementation?
  11. Do you involve employees with disabilities in social and recreational activities?
  12. Is your employee-benefits program accessible to all employees?

Your Score

If you cannot answer "yes" to all of the preceding questions you may wish to obtain information from:

Office of Disability Employment Policy's
Job Accommodation Network (JAN)

1(800) ADA-WORK (Voice/TTY)
1(800) 526-7234 (Voice/TTY)

Office of Disability Employment Policy
(202) 693-7880 (Voice)
(202) 693-7881 (TTY)

For technical information on the legal requirements of ADA, contact:

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission:
1(800) 669-3362 (Voice)
1(800) 800-3302 (TTY)

For Additional Information

Most states have a Governor's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities dealing with employment-related issues and resources. To contact them, call the Governor's office in your state.

Udpated February 2001



Phone Numbers