On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush forever changed the lives of individuals with disabilities by signing into law the Americans with Disabilities Act, also known as ADA. ADA was amended in 2009 and signed into law by President George W. Bush in order to make the provisions in the law more encompassing due to some rulings by the Supreme Court relating to the interpretation of the original wording. The areas directly impacted under this law are: employment, transportation, public accommodations, public services, and telecommunications. It was enacted to eliminate barriers for people with disabilities by affording them the same civil rights protection as non-disabled persons.

Employment
The function of the employment section of ADA is to ensure that a person with disabilities who is qualified for an explicit job with or without reasonable accommodations has the same likelihood of employment as his or her non-disabled counterparts. This allows all individuals to be fully involved in society. This includes not only hiring for a position, but also chance for advancement, wages, training, benefits including insurance, all leave time, and termination. In order to receive protection under this act, a person must meet the description of disability as defined in ADA.

Public Transportation
The US Department of Justice and the Department of Transportation provide clear guidelines for both local and state level entities as to what rules and regulations are expected to be followed to guarantee adherence to ADA. An example is a person with a physical disability may require handrails or a wheelchair accessible ramp in order to board a bus. Air travel is also included as public transportation in that provisions must be taken to ensure all people have the same access to it. This includes general information delivery as well as actual services.

Public Accommodations
This section of ADA was designed to encompass the private sector which is made up of public accommodations, commercial facilities and private establishments. This division is where guide dogs and other service animals are excluded from certain policies. All buildings and structures built after 1992 must meet criteria set forth by the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines. These guidelines would include such things as making sure curbs offer right of entry for wheelchairs and there is a suitable bathroom facility to accommodate people with disabilities.

Telecommunications
This sector sets forth guiding principles to be followed to assist people who are hearing and/or speech impaired. This facilitated the installation of Teletypewriter and other Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, also known as TDDS. Now every state in America is part if the Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS). Thanks to the progression of technology, many of these calls are completed via the internet and it is even possible to use video capabilities along with this.

All of the subsections of ADA were created to guarantee all individuals access to available services equally, regardless of ability. It is not meant to give people with disabilities an advantage, it is merely a way to level the playing field so that all people have the same opportunities to be accomplished and live a full, vigorous life.