The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 is the civil rights law designed to protect individuals from discrimination based on disability. The ADA extends civil rights protection for people with disabilities to employment in the private sector, transportation, public accommodations, services provided by state and local government, and telecommunication relay services.

ADA broadened the essential concepts of Section 504 and included additional areas such as private employers, public accommodations (e.g., museums, theaters, restaurants, motels), and the telephone relay system for the Deaf. Under Title II of the ADA, the responsibility of public entities, such as state and local government, was strengthened to protect qualified students with disabilities from being discriminated against.

ADA Amendments Act 2008 (ADAAA)

Effective in January 2009 the ADDAA broadened the definition of a person with a disability and clarified previously confusing language in the law. The impact on colleges and universities has mostly been in the area of determining who is a student with a disability and lessening the burden on documentation requirements as the sole means to prove the existence of a disability.