Employee Experience Team
Americans with Disabilities Act
It is the policy and practice of the University of South Florida to comply fully with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and all other federal and state laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability. The ADA Compliance Coordinator plans, organizes, and monitors USF’s ADA Compliance Program, and state and federal ADA laws pertaining to all faculty, staff, students, and public visitors of USF. ADA Compliance develops and establishes guidelines and prepares procedures and policies designed to eliminate discriminatory practices to ensure access to programs and services for persons with disabilities.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in everyday activities. The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability just as other civil rights laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. The ADA guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to enjoy employment opportunities, purchase goods and services, and participate in state and local government programs.
A person with a disability is someone who:
- Has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities,
- Has a history or record of such an impairment (such as cancer that is in remission),
or
Is perceived by others as having such an impairment (such as a person who has scars from a severe burn). - If a person falls into any of these categories, the ADA protects them. Because the ADA is a law and not a benefit program, you do not need to apply for coverage.
Title II of the ADA requires state and local governments to give people with disabilities an equal opportunity to benefit from all of their programs, services, and activities. State and local governments cannot deny people with disabilities the chance to participate or make them participate in different programs than available to others.