Creation of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990
February 17, 2024
The principal purpose of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is, to provide clear, strong, consistent, enforceable standards that deal with discrimination against those with a disability. In passing the ADA, Congress found that Americans with disabilities are often relegated to positions of political powerlessness and lack legal recourse to combat discrimination that results from stereotypical attitudes held toward their class. Moreover, the continued existence of unfair and unnecessary discrimination, which denies the disabled an opportunity to compete on an equal basis, ultimately costs the United States billions of dollars as a result of consequent dependency and nonproductivity. As a result, Congress enacted the ADA to protect the interests it found consistent with the spirit of the United States Constitution.