The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law on July 26, 1990 and extends the coverage of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.  This law was enacted to protect Americans with disabling conditions from discriminatory practices, employment, telecommunications, transportation, and in public areas, including educational settings.  This civil rights law gives individuals with disabilities the right to live, work, learn and be involved in recreation with the same opportunities as people without disabilities and cannot be denied the benefits of programs, activities or services.
 

The ADA mandates that reasonable modifications must be made to practices, procedures and policies when needed to ensure equal opportunities to those with disabilities as afforded individuals without disabilities.  Every person who has, used to have or is treated as having a disability which substantially limits one or more life activity is protected under ADA.  The law does not require changes or modifications that fundamentally alter the purpose or nature of a program or the services an organization provides.  Rather in the case of students, accommodations are adaptations in the academic arena that do not compromise the mastery of essential course elements or academic standards but provide students with disabilities an equal opportunity to succeed.  Accommodations are provided to allow equal access to information and facilities.  Services under ADA provided at ABAC are designed to the student's skills to overcome deficits created by the disability or disabilities.