1. Providing Access to the Good Life Meeting the Needs of People with Disabilities
Crystal Booker
Nebraska ADA Coordinator
Department of Administrative Services

2. Consider This: The U.S. Census Bureau Reports that Nearly 1 in 5 People Have a Disability
People 80 and older — are about eight times more likely to have a disability (71%)
People younger than are less likely to have a disability (8%)
About 8.1 million people had difficulty seeing, including 2.0 million who were blind or unable to see.
About 7.6 million people experienced difficulty hearing, including 1.1 million whose difficulty was severe. About 5.6 million used a hearing aid.
Roughly 30.6 million had difficulty walking or climbing stairs, or used a wheelchair, cane, crutches or walker.
About 19.9 million people had difficulty lifting and grasping. This includes, for instance, trouble lifting an object like a bag of groceries, or grasping a glass or a pencil.
Being frequently depressed or anxious such that it interfered with ordinary activities was reported by 7.0 million adults.

3. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. The purpose of the law is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. The ADA gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications. The ADA is divided into five titles (or sections) that relate to different areas of public life.
Title I = Employment
Title II = Government services, programs & activities
Title III = Public activities (movies, restaurants, theme parks)
Title IV = Communication (phones, TV, Radio)

4. Are Libraries Title II or Title III?
Is the organization/agency operated with public funds?
Are its Employees considered government employees?
Does the organization/agency receive significant assistance from the government?
Is it governed by an independent board from a private organization or by an elected or appointed board?

5. ADA Title II
No qualified individual with a disability shall, by reason of the disability, be excluded from participating in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs or activities provided by a public entity
Providing services and programs is the business of governmental agencies

6. ADA Title III
Prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in the activities of places that are generally available to the public (restaurants, theatres, museums, day care facilities, etc.) that are owned commercially

7. Who is “Disabled” under the law?
Physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life function
Record of such an impairment
Regarded as having an impairment
Visible vs. Invisible
Visible disabilities can be easily identified:
Using a wheelchair or walker, using a white cane, thick glasses or hearing aides, etc.
Invisible disabilities cannot be seen or easily identified:
Chronic pain or fatigue, mental illness,
PTSD, diabetes, autism, etc.

8. A reasonable modification can be anything that makes it possible for this person with a disability to participate in this program, service or activity
Examples:
Allowing a service animal in a building in spite of a no pets policy
Providing someone to assist a person with a disability to fill out an application
Providing a sign language interpreter, TTY, taped text, Braille, reader, note taker

9. Keep walkways, aisles and ramps clear of obstacles.
Physical Access:
Programs, Services & Activities in Existing Buildings…
Must be accessible when viewed in their entirety
Does not necessarily require each facility to be accessible
May use alternate means to make programs accessible
ASK if the individual needs assistance
Examples: curb service, home service, move meetings to accessible space on request

10. Ask the individual if they need assistance before helping them.
Respect personal space
Don’t touch someone’s wheelchair, cane or walker unless necessary
Guide the blind from their shoulder with your hand
No reason to yell or stand too close

11. Face the hearing impaired person so they can see you
Website, Social Media or Publications
Ensure that your website can be used by a screen reader
Use closed captioning or sign language interpreter for video
Provide audio options or Braille
Consider a large print version

12. Speak directly to the individual, not their companion or interpreter.

13. Do not pet, talk to, or give food to a service animal
Do not pet, talk to, or give food to a service animal. The animal is working!
Law states that only dogs and miniature horses (24-34 inches tall no more than 100 pounds) can be used as service animals
Titles II and III of the ADA do NOT allow emotional support animals
CAN ask what the animal is used for but, CANNOT ask for medical information from the individual

14. Sources United Spinal Association Great Plains ADA Center
U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Census Bureau
Office of Disability Rights- District of Columbia