Fast Facts on Disability

• Forty-three million Americans are disabled.
• Nineteen percent of Americans age 15 to 64 have a disability.
• Among Americans 6 years of age and older, 1.8 million are wheelchair users.
• Over the next 10 years, America will experience a 37 percent increase in the incidence of disability as the “Baby Boomer” generation ages.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Illinois State University is committed to the full inclusion of individuals with disabilities and to continually improving the accessibility of our campus, programs and activities. The ADA Coordinator position was created to guide the University's efforts to move beyond compliance and toward seamless access. As the University's focal point for disability related initiatives, the ADA Coordinator collaborates with University offices, governmental agencies, and advocacy groups to provide informed decision-making and ensure University compliance with State and Federal mandates.

To accomplish this the ADA Coordinator is a referral point for disability related information and resources; provides consultation on policy reviews and facilities planning; conducts workshops and training on disability related topics; serves as a clearing house for disability related complaints; and develops disability related initiatives.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed July 26, 1990 as Public Law 101-336 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 12101 et seq) and became effective on January 26, 1992. The ADA is landmark federal legislation that opens up services and employment opportunities to the 43 million Americans with disabilities. The law was written to strike a balance between the reasonable accommodation of citizens' needs and the capacity of private and public entities to respond. It is not an affirmative action law but is intended to eliminate illegal discrimination and level the playing field for disabled individuals.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

The ADA is comprised of five titles that prohibit discrimination against disabled persons within the United States.

• Title I: prohibits employers, including cities and towns, from discriminating against qualified job applicants and workers who are or who become disabled. The law covers all aspects of employment including the application process and hiring, training, compensation, advancement, and any other employment term, condition, or privilege.
• Title II: prohibits state and local governments from discriminating against disabled persons in their programs and activities. Title II also sets forth the applicable structural accessibility requirements for public entities.
• Title III: prohibits private enterprises who provide public accommodations and services (e.g., hotels, restaurants, and transit systems) from denying goods, services and programs to people based on their disabilities. Title III also sets forth the applicable structural accessibility requirements for private entities.
• Title IV: makes available telecommunications devices and services for the hearing and speech impaired. These regulations spell out certain mandatory minimum standards telephone companies must maintain to be in compliance with the ADA.
• Title V: includes some miscellaneous provisions that relate to the construction and application of the ADA, including alternative dispute resolution.

Who does the ADA protect?

The ADA serves qualified individuals who have a physical, mental, or emotional impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities OR has a record of having an impairment, OR is regarded as having an impairment while being able to perform the essential functions of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation.

What Constitutes a Disability?

The ADA does not specify what medical conditions qualify or disqualify as a disability.  Instead, determinations are made on a case-by-case basis measuring the impact the impairment limits a major life activity.  A disability is never based on the name or diagnosis of the impairment.

Conditions that are generally deemed disabilities are:

• medical disabilities
• hearing disabilities
• vision disabilities
• psychiatric disabilities
• learning disabilities
• traumatic brain injury disabilities
• mobility disabilities

Conditions that generally are not deemed disabilities are:

• pregnancy (unless deemed high risk)
• temporary injuries (broken bones)
• nicotine addiction
• illegal drug use
• alcoholism (unless enrolled in a rehabilitative program)
• disorders like pyromania and pedophilia

If you feel you qualify as an individual with a disability and wish to arrange a reasonable accommodation, please contact the Illinois State University Office of Disability Concerns located in 350 Fell Hall or call (309) 438-5853 (309) 438-8620 (TTY).