ADA
The ADA Compliance Officer is responsible for planning and coordinating activities related to fulfilling the mandates of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008.
Bill Collins currently serves as the Director of Diversity and ADA Compliance. He can be reached at 617-287-6587 or Bill.Collins@umb.edu.
Discrimination is a bigger obstacle for persons with disabilities to "overcome" than any disability.
-Paul Longmore, Disabled and Proud 2003
THE ADA IS "21" !
Presidential Proclamation--Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Click here
Mayor Menino Celebrates 21st Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act. Click here
On September 25, 2008, President Bush signed into law the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA/S. 3406). This law (Public law number 110-325), authored by Sens. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT), constitutes the first legislative change to our nation’s landmark disability statute, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). The law becomes effective on January 1, 2009.
The Amended ADA retains the basic definition of "disability" as:
- an impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities
- having a record of such an impairment
- being regarded as having such an impairment, but states that the definition should be interpreted broadly.
There are also specific changes in the way the definition should be interpreted.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has posted a more complete notice of the changes on its website at: www.eeoc.gov/ada/amendments_notice.html.
