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Disabilities and reasonable accommodations — Tennessee

Signed into law on July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is the most comprehensive federal civil rights statute protecting the rights of people with disabilities. On January 1, 2009, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) revised the ADA. The provisions of the ADA now protect the rights of the estimated 160 million Americans with some form of disability. The ADA is divided into five titles, each addressing a unique area:

  1. employment (Title I)
  2. public services (Title II)
  3. public accommodations (Title III)
  4. telecommunications (Title IV)
  5. miscellaneous provisions (Title V).

Title I of the ADA directly affects employers and is the focus of this chapter.

Coverage

The ADA applies to all private employers with 15 or more employees, including part-time employees. The ADA also applies to all public employers, labor organizations, and employment agencies. The ADA does not apply to employers with fewer than 15 employees, the executive branch of the federal government, private membership clubs, churches, parochial schools, or Native-American reservations. 

Title I of the ADA requires employers to provide qualified individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to...


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