The Americans with Disabilities Act
The year 2000, in addition to its many other distinctions, will be
celebrated by many people as the 10th anniversary of the passage of the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and as the year the Morris Post
Office became handicapped accessible.
Since its passage by Congress in 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act
has helped people with disabilities engage in everyday activities like
eating in a restaurant, visiting a public library, or buying an item in a
store.
The ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in
employment. It requires that all government services (including schools
and parks) be open and accessible to people with disabilities. It
guarantees that goods and services be offered equally to all. (Most types
of businesses, regardless of size, are covered by the law.) The intent of
the law is to give people with disabilities an equal opportunity to
participate in the mainstream of public life offered to all Americans.
One of the goals of the ADA is to remove barriers that make it hard for
the handicapped, the elderly, and other people to use facilities. Creating
convenient parking stalls, providing curb cuts in sidewalks, providing
alternatives to stairs, changing entrances so they have appropriate door
hardware, upgrading restrooms, and lowering the height of public
telephones are all examples of removing barriers. The universal
accessibility achieved by the ADA through ramps, level thresholds, and
elevators help the elderly and parents pushing strollers, as well as the
handicapped.
In Morris, the effects of the ADA are visible in:
- curb cuts in the sidewalks in the central business district and in
residential areas
- handicapped parking stalls downtown, at schools and churches, and at
many businesses
- handicapped-accessible transit buses
- new doors and bathroom renovations at the Morris Public Library
- a new handicapped-accessible entrance at the Morris Post Office.
The University of Minnesota, Morris, has established an Office of
Disability Services and has been installing elevators and making other
changes in campus buildings to make the campus more accessible.
To help businesses comply with the ADA, Congress has established tax
credits and deductions that can be used to offset many costs of providing
access. Technical assistance on ADA compliance is available from many
sources including the City of Morris (589-3141) and the State of Minnesota
(at 651-297-2920 or www.disability.state.mn.us). The federal government
has an ADA Guide for Small Businesses and a Tax Incentive Packet, as well
as other help, available at 800-514-0301 or
www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm.
|
