UpDate - Vol. 14, No. 18, Page EDT-3
February 2, 1995
Employee Development and Training
Disabilities Act aims to insure equal opportunity

     In 1990, Congress enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) that prohibits discrimination against individuals with
disabilities in n, telecommunications and access to public programs
and services.
     The regulations include access to public and private college and
university programs and services.
     The ADA is similar to another disability law, the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973. However, the ADA's nature and scope are broader in many
respects.
     Regarding employment, the ADA requires that employers provide
"reasonable accommodations" to "otherwise qualified" employees and
applicants for employment who have disabilities. This means a person
with a disability who qualifies to perform the essential functions or
duties of a job, with or without reasonable accommodation, is
protected from job discrimination under the ADA.
     From a practical point of view, this means that employers must
give people with disabilities equal opportunity to employment access,
and an employer may not discriminate against an employee or applicant
for employment in any employment-related activity including, but not
limited to, hiring, promotion, pay, benefits, lay-off and assignments.
     In addition, employers are obligated to provide individuals with
disabilities a reasonable amount of help or assistance to allow the
employee to perform his or her essential job functions and participate
equally in employment.  Such assistance might include job
restructuring, equipment modifications and transfer to an existing
vacant position.
     The Employee Services staff, in conjunction with ADA Coordinator
Jeanette DiScala, will offer classes about the ADA's employment
provisions. Check the course listings for dates and times.