In the previous section, you learned that the Fair Housing Act, aka Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, prohibits housing discrimination against persons with disabilities. There is also a federal law that ensures equal access, beyond housing, for persons with disabilities. The law is the Americans with American Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), and it provides a broader range of civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. “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.” The ADA defines disability as:
“A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities,
has a history of record of such impairment (such as cancer that is in remission) or is perceived by others as having such an impairment (such as a person who is scared from a severe burn).”
ADA ensures that, “Persons with disabilities have equal opportunity to public accommodations, employment, transportation, state, and local government services and telecommunications".
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act is another comprehensive anti-discrimination law that prohibits programs and activities that receive federal funds from excluding or discriminating against persons with disabilities. Housing and housing programs that receive federal funds must also adhere to this Act.