Utah State Law Library

Yesterday marked the 20th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The purpose of the Act is:

(1) to provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities;
(2) to provide clear, strong, consistent, enforceable standards addressing discrimination against individuals with disabilities;
(3) to ensure that the Federal Government plays a central role in enforcing the standards established in this chapter on behalf of individuals with disabilities; and
(4) to invoke the sweep of congressional authority, including the power to enforce the fourteenth amendment and to regulate commerce, in order to address the major areas of discrimination faced day-to-day by people with disabilities.

42 U.S. Code §12101(b)

The ADA guarantees equal opportunity for people with disabilities in public accommodations, commercial facilities, employment, transportation, state and local government services and telecommunications. Some of the things we take for granted today like curb cuts, automatic door openers and lifts on public transportation are all the result of the ADA.

Utah Resources

Access Utah Network

Deseret News article

Utah Disability Law Center

Utah Division of Services for People with Disabilities

Utah State Library for the Blind and Disabled

Federal Resources

www.ada.gov, the U.S. Department of Justice's ADA Home Page.

Disability.gov, which includes stories from people about how the ADA has impacted their lives.