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Fair Housing Act
Introduced meaningful federal enforcement mechanisms. It outlawed: Refusal to sell or rent a dwelling to any person because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. -
The Architectural Barriers Act
This law requires that buildings and facilities – designed, constructed or altered with federal funds – comply with federal accessibility standards. It also applies to buildings and facilities leased by federal agencies. ABA requirements are limited to architectural standards in new and altered buildings and in newly leased facilities. -
Rehabilitation Act of 1973
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (often just called the “Rehab Act”) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs run by federal agencies; programs that receive federal financial assistance; in federal employment; and in the employment practices of federal contractors. -
Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act
Under this law, polling places for federal elections must be physically accessible to the disabled. Where no accessible location for this purpose is available, a political subdivision must provide an alternate means of casting a ballot on the day of the election. This Act also requires states to make available registration and voting aids such as telecommunications devices — for disabled and elderly voters. -
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, transportation, public accommodation, communications, and governmental activities. The ADA also establishes requirements for telecommunications relay services. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law ensuring services to children with disabilities throughout the nation. IDEA governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education and related services to more than 6.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities. -
National Voter Registration Act
To increase the historically low registration rates of minorities and the disabled that have resulted from discrimination, the NVRA requires all offices of state-funded programs that are primarily engaged in providing services to persons with disabilities to provide all program applicants with voter registration forms, to assist them in completing the forms, and to transmit completed forms to the appropriate state official. -
Telecommunications Act
Requires manufacturers of telecommunications equipment and providers of telecommunications services to ensure that such equipment and services are accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities, if readily achievable. These amendments ensure that people with disabilities will have access to a broad range of products and services such as telephones, cell phones, pagers, call-waiting, and operator services, that were often inaccessible to many users with disabilities. -
Workforce Investment Act of 1998
The Workforce Investment Act is a federal act that “provides workforce investment activities, through statewide and local workforce investment systems, that increase the employment, retention, and earnings of participants, and in-crease occupational skill attainment by participants, and, as a result, improve the quality of the workforce, reduce welfare dependency, and enhance the produc-tivity and competitiveness of the Nation. -
Air Carrier Access Act
This act bans discrimination in air transportation by domestic and foreign air carriers against qualified individuals with physical or mental impairments, but applies only to air carriers that provide regularly scheduled services for hire to the public.
