Air Carrier Access Act: Under this law, air carriers providing "regularly scheduled services for hire to the public" must provide equal access, including boarding assistance and some in-flight accommodations, such as accessibility features in bathrooms. This law pertains to people with physical and/or mental disabilities. Specific information about accommodations can be accessed by contacting airlines, or visiting their websites.

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990: This act prohibits discrimination against people with physical, mental, or developmental disabilities. "Disability" according to the ADA is:
- a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities;
- a record of such impairment; or
- being regarded as having such an impairment

The Americans with Disabilities Act is divided into five titles:

Title I: Employment
An employee or applicant qualified for protection under the ADA may require "reasonable accommodation" to perform the job. The exception to this requirement is potential "undue hardship" on the employer or business, where accommodations would be excessively difficult or expensive. The business's size, nature, and financial resources are factors in determining undue hardship. Reasonable accommodation includes, but isn't limited to:
- modifying work schedules;
- providing adaptive equipment; and/or
- altering or modifying facilities to be accessible to people with disabilities

Applicants may be asked about their ability to perform job functions, but not about their actual disability. A medical examination must be job-related, and can be a condition for employment only if the exam is required of all applicants, with or without a disability.

Title II: Public Services
State and local governments must give people with disabilities equal access to all programs, services, and activities. This includes, but is not limited to, education, employment, courts, health care, recreation, transportation, voting, and town meetings. Buildings must be accessible as defined in the Architectural Barriers Act; programs in inaccessible buildings must be relocated. Public transportation (city buses, public rail, etc.) authorities must provide equal access by altering vehicles to accommodate passengers with disabilities, or they must purchase/lease accessible vehicles. Paratransit must be offered, except in the case of undue hardship, to people with disabilities when standard transit is not an option because of disability. Paratransit refers to vehicles designed specifically for people with disabilities, and is available only to qualified persons.

Title III: Public Accommodations
This section of the ADA covers private entities such as restaurants, retail stores, private schools, entertainment venues, and hotels (among many others). Title III also includes transportation provided by these entities. Equal access and anti-discriminatory practices are mandated, and include access to buildings and facilities, effective communication in the case of hearing, speech or vision disabilities, and procedure modifications, where necessary. Programs and activities must be provided in equally-accessible place. Cases of undue hardship are considered.

Title IV: Telecommunications
Under this section of the ADA, telephone and television service must be equally accessible. Telephone companies must provide telecommunication relay services, which enable people with hearing and/or speech disabilities to use the telephone. Text telephones (TTY's or TDD's) allow people with disabilities to communicate via an operator. Title IV mandates that Federally-funded public service announcements, and the emergency broadcast system, are accessible by closed captioning.

Title V: Miscellaneous
When asserting their rights provided by the ADA, people with disabilities are protected from coercion, retaliation, or threatening by anyone. Also, anyone (advocate, family member, etc.) aiding the assertion of a person's ADA rights, whether disabled or not, is protected under title V.

Architectural Barriers Act: Under this act, buildings and facilities newly designed, built, or altered with Federal funds, or places newly leased by a Federal agency, must be accessible according to Federal standards.

Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act: This act governs conduct towards people confined in State or local government institutions. These include juvenile correctional facilities, pretrial detention centers, jails, prisons, nursing homes (those receiving federal funding), institutions for people with developmental disabilities, or psychiatric institutions. The U.S. Attorney General may investigate, identify, and work towards the correction of any procedures or conditions endangering the health and safety of institutionalized persons, or anything violating their civil rights.

Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988: This law encompasses private housing, government (State or local) housing, and housing receiving any federal funding. It prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, family status, or national origin. Discrimination is prohibited in showing property, renting, selling, financing, zoning, new construction design, or advertising. Individuals protected include (but may not be limited to) potential or current renters/buyers with disabilities, or people with disabilities intending to live in the residence wit the renter/buyer.
The Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 also mandates that exceptions be provided in rental policies (or other policies or procedures) to promote equal housing opportunities. These include but are not limited to the following areas:
"No pets" policies: exceptions must be made for guide, hearing, or service dogs.
Modifying living/common use areas: landlords must permit tenants with disabilities to modify (within reason) their private space, or communal areas, to provide equal access. The landlord is not required to fund the modification.
New multifamily housing (with four or more units): these must be designed and constructed to provide equal access for people with disabilities, including but not limited to wide doors, and kitchens and bathrooms big enough to accommodate a wheelchair.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: Formerly the Education of the Handicapped Act, this requires that public schools provide access to free appropriate education to all children with disabilities, in an equal-access environment. Public schools must create Individualized Education Programs (IEP) for each disabled child, dependent upon that child's needs. With some exceptions, the IEP is developed in consultation with the child's current teacher, the parents, an agency representative, and the child. The IEP is subject to annual review, and parents may request a review or appeal at any other time.

Rehabilitation Act of 1973: Before the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was the primary Federal law outlining and advocating the rights of people with disabilities. It pertains to discrimination in Federal agencies, including programs and employment. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is composed of four sections:

Section 501: mandates equal opportunity and affirmative action in executive branch employment.
Section 502: requires that Federal buildings provide equal accessibility (elevators, handicap-accessible bathrooms, etc.). This section also established the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board.
Section 503: mandates equal opportunity and affirmative action in employment by Federal contractors and subcontractors. This pertains to contracts over $10,000.
Section 504: this states that "no qualified individual with a disability in the United States shall be excluded from, denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under" any program receiving Federal financial assistance, or programs run by any Executive agency or the U.S. Postal Service. This includes State agencies, education institutions, and private entities.

Section 508: mandates that Federal electronic and information technology is accessible to people with disabilities, through special software or other adaptive technology.

Section 4-B of the Civil Rights Law: This pertains to people with disabilities who depend upon guide, hearing, or service dogs.

Telecommunications Act: This law mandates that telecommunications equipment and services are accessible for people with disabilities. Products included are telephones (regular and cellular), pagers, some additional services (such as call waiting, etc.) and operator services.

Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act: This act requires that voting sites are physically accessible for people with disabilities during federal elections. Also, adaptations must be made for voters with disabilities or the elderly for registration and voting, such as TDDs, absentee ballots, or other adaptations. This act is accompanied by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, which was designed to prevent discrimination against minorities, and promotes high voter-registration by facilitating registration.

Resources
This contact information was acquired from:
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic-text/fed_prog/disability-laws/disrits.htm.
It's current as of October 1, 1996.

Air Carrier Access Act
Departmental Office of Civil Rights
Office of the Secretary
U.S. Department of Transportation
400 Seventh Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20590

(202) 366-4648 (voice)
(202) 366-8538 (TDD)

Aviation Consumer Protection Division, C-75
U.S. Department of Transportation
(202) 366-2220 (voice)
(202) 755-7687 (TDD)

Americans With Disabilities Act
Title I: Employment
For the local Equal Employment Opportunity Commission field office, call:
(800) 669-4000 (voice)
(800) 669-6820 (TDD)
Information regarding EEOC is available at:
(800) 669-EEOC (voice)
(800) 800-3302 (TDD)
The Job Accommodation Network is available at:
(800) 526-7234 (voice/TDD)
(800) ADA-WORK (voice/TDD)

Title II: State and Local Government Activities
Disability Rights Section
Civil Rights Division
U.S. Department of Justice
P.O. Box 66738
Washington, D.C. 20035-6738

(800) 514-0301 (voice)
(800) 514-0383 (TDD)

Title II: Public Transportation
Federal Transit Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation
400 Seventh Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20590

Documents/Questions: (202) 366-1656 (voice)
Legal Questions : (202) 366-9306 (voice)
Legal Questions: (202) 366-1936 (voice/relay)
Complaints: (202) 366-2285 (voice)
Documents/Questions: (202) 366-4567 (TDD)
Legal Questions: (202) 755-7687 (TDD)
Complaints : (202) 366-0153 (TDD)

Title III: Public Accommodations
Disability Rights Section
Civil Rights Division
U.S. Department of Justice
P.O. Box 66738
Washington, D.C. 20035-6738

(800) 514-0301 (voice)
(800) 514-0383 (TDD)

Title IV: Telecommunications
Federal Communications Commission
1919 M Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554

Documents/Questions: (202) 418-0190 (voice)
Legal Questions: (202) 418-2357 (voice)
Documents/Questions: (202) 418-2555 (TDD)
Legal Questions: (202) 418-0484 (TDD)

Architectural Barriers Act
The U.S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board
1331 F Street, N.W. (Suite 1000)
Washington, D.C. 20004-1111

(800) 872-2253 (voice)
(800) 993-2822 (TDD)

Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act
Special Litigation Section
Civil Rights Department
U.S. Department of Justice
P.O. Box 66400
Washington D.C. 20035-6400

(202) 514-6255 (voice/relay)

Fair Housing Act
Office of Program Compliance and Disability Rights
Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 7th Street, S.W. (Room 5242)
Washington, D.C. 20140

Fair Housing Information Clearinghouse:
(800) 343-3442 (voice)
(800) 483-2209 (TDD)

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Office of Special Education Programs
U.S. Department of Education
330 C Street, S.W. (Room 3086)
Washington, D.C. 20202

(202) 205-5507 (voice)
(202) 205-9754 (TDD)

Rehabilitation Act
Section 503
Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
U.S. Department of Labor
200 Constitution Ave, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20210

(202) 219-9423 (voice/relay)

Section 504
Disability Rights Section
Civil Rights Division
U.S. Department of Justice
P.O. Box 66738
Washington, D.C. 20035-6738

(800) 514-0301 (voice)
(800) 514-0383 (TDD)

Telecommunications Act
Federal Communication Commission
445 12th Street, S.W.
Washington D.C. 20554

(888) 225-5322 (voice)
(888) 835-5322 (TTY)

Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act
Voting Section
Civil Rights Division
U.S. Department of Justice
P.O. Box 66128
Washington D.C. 20035

(800) 253-3931 (voice/TTY)

Sources of this Information

The U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, has created these websites:

A Guide to Disability Rights
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/cguide.htm

A Guide to Disability Rights Laws
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/fed_prog/disability-laws/disrits.htm