SPED 08130: Disability as Diversity

Assignment 2: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Activity

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, 1990)is a civil rights law that protects disabled people and ensures that they have the same rights and opportunities as nondisabled people through the recognition and removal of environmental barriers. Under the ADA, private businesses and non-profits that serve the public are required to make their facilities accessible to people with disabilities and must not discriminate based on disability. Some examples of places of public accommodation include: restaurants, hotels, theaters, doctors' offices, pharmacies, retail stores, libraries, parks, private schools, and day care centers.

ADAprovides disabled people withaccess to employment, education, public spaces and transportation. While the ADA is critical for many legal protections, it does not cover all of the accommodations requested by disabled people so that they can safely and comfortably access private and public spaces. Accommodations not covered by the ADA may include sensory accommodations that consider lighting, noise level, smells, and proximity to others; information accessibility (pictures, simple phrasing, auditory information); or creating welcoming environments with visuals or other signs of inclusivity for disability.

Assignment Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to gain an understanding of the ADA and to critically consider the importance of the ADA in reducing environmental barriers so disabled people can access daily experiences, such as enjoying a meal in a restaurant, purchasing goods and services, andengaging in a college course.

Article Review and Reflection

Read the article,Okay, Our Courses Are Online, But Are They ADA Compliant? An Investigation of Faculty Awareness of Accessibility at a Midwestern University(Huss & Eastep, 2016).

Article Link: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1171774.pdf

1. Make an infographic or presentation with five (5) recommendations that can be used to help any educator ensure their remote instruction is ADA compliant.
2. Include why each recommendation is important
3. Provide a written reflection connecting the article and your recommendations to the historical importance of the ADA noting ideas for improvements, to disability rights, and to your personal learning and experiences (one-two paragraphs)