Web Content Display Web Content Display
Q: What is the ADA?

A: The American with Disabilities Act (ADA), was signed into law under President George Bush on July 26, 1990. It prohibits discrimination against disabled citizens and mandates the removal of barriers limiting their full participation within American society.

The ADA bans discrimination in employment, and requires full access to government facilities, services and public transportation. It also prohibits privately owned businesses from excluding or discriminating against people with disabilities. It also established a national telephone relay service for deaf and hard-of-hearing citizens, enabling essential access to telephonic communication.

For more information on the American with Disabilities Act, contact the Department of Justice at:

Website: http://www.ada.gov

Phone: 1-800-514-0301
Phone (TDD): 1-800-514-0383

For further information you may also contact:

Madera ADA Advisory Council
Cynthia Ortegon 559 664-0471
omtibet@sbcglobal.net

 

Q: How do you communicate with people with disabilities?
A: 1. Speak directly rather than through a companion or sign language interpreter who may be present.

2. Offer to shake hands when introduced. People with limited hand use or an artificial limb an usually shake hands and offering the left hand is acceptable greeting.

3. Always identify yourself and others who may be with you when meeting someone with a visual disability. When conversing in a group, remember to identify the person to whom you are speaking.

4. If you offer assistance, wait until the offer is accepted. Then listen or ask for instructions.

5. Treat adults as adults. Address people with disabilities by their first names only when extending the same familiarity to all others. Never patronize people in wheelchairs by patting them on the head or shoulder.

6. Do not lean against or place your hand on someone's wheelchair. Bear in mind that people with disabilities treat their chairs as extensions of their bodies.

7. Listen attentively when talking with people who have difficulty speaking and wait for them to finish. If necessary, ask short questions that require short answers, or a nod of the head. Never pretend to understand; instead repeat what you have understood and allow the person to respond.

8. Place yourself at eye level when speaking with someone in a wheelchair or on crutches.

9. Tap a person who has a hearing disability on the shoulder or wave your hand to get his or her attention. Look directly at the person and speak clearly, slowly, and expressively to establish if the person can read your lips. If so, try to face the light source and keep hands, cigarettes and food away from your mouth when speaking.

Never shout at a person. Just speak in a normal tone of voice.

10.Relax. Don't be embarrassed if you happen to use common expressions such as "See you Later" or "Did you hear about this?" that seem to relate to a person's disability.