Disability Law Full Circle Inclusion and Diversity

We learned that the Bobby Dodd Institute (BDI) strives to help people of all abilities realize their full potential by promoting economic self-sufficiency, independence, and community participation. We learned to distinguish between fact and fiction and reviewed the myths, misconceptions, and facts around disability. In this lesson, you will learn the basics of disability law including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and what its key elements cover, as well as define some important terms like “disability” and “reasonable accommodations and modifications” according to the law.

In this course, you learned that:

• Disability law, such as the ADA serves to protect people with disabilities and their relatives from discrimination and harassment

• Conditions are considered disabilities if they last longer than 6 months, impede major life activities such as walking, or if they are defined as a disability in a person’s medical history

• People with disabilities have the right to reasonable accommodations at any point in the hiring process, so long as they are not unreasonable or expensive. Employers, however, cannot deny these accommodations solely on this basis and must provide an alternative option with equal capacity to support the employee.