Justice Department Revises Regulations to Implement Requirements of ADA Amendments Act of 2008
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-revises-regulations-implement-requirements-ada-amendments-act-2008
Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Justice Department Revises Regulations to Implement Requirements of ADA Amendments Act of 2008
A final rule revising the Justice Departments Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II and Title III regulations to implement the requirements of the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) was made available for public inspection by the Federal Register today. The final rule will be published in the Federal Register tomorrow and will take effect 60 days after publication, which will be Oct. 10, 2016.
Congress passed the ADAAA in response to several Supreme Court decisions that narrowly interpreted the ADAs definition of disability, leading ultimately to the exclusion from coverage of individuals with cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning disabilities and other disabilities. The ADAAA made a number of significant changes to the meaning and interpretation of the ADA definition of disability to ensure that the term would be broadly construed and applied without extensive analysis so that all individuals with disabilities could receive the laws protections.
Although the ADAAA is already in effect and applies to entities covered under Title II and III of the ADA, the departments changes to its Title II and III regulations will help clarify the interpretation and application of the ADAAA. These changes also satisfy the Attorney Generals responsibility to publish regulations that are consistent with any congressional changes to the ADA.
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For more information about the ADAAA, please visit the departments ADA website or call the ADA Information Line (1-800-514-0301, 1-800-514-3083, TTY). A copy of the preview of the final rule posted by the Federal Register on its public inspection desk can be found today at:
https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2016/08/11/2016-17417/amendment-of-americans-with-disabilities-act-regulations-to-implement-the-americans-with. Once the final rule is published in the Federal Register tomorrow, a copy will be available on the departments ADA website.