On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law. Each year we return to that date to celebrate the law that aims to remove barriers and expand opportunities for people with disabilities to live, work, learn, and play in the communities of their choice. We have made so much progress in the 34 years since the law was enacted, and there is work ahead to ensure full participation of people with disabilities.

One part of that work is educating people who might not know they have rights or responsibilities under the ADA and other civil rights laws. For example, someone recovering from an illness or injury could request an accommodation at work to be able to return to their job. A nursing student with a learning disability could request an accommodation for their licensing exam. Or a court may need to provide interpreters or information in alternative formats for a defendant or complainant with a hearing disability. We gathered some resources for people to learn more about their rights and responsibilities under the ADA.

You may be protected from discrimination under the ADA if:

• You are a person in recovery from substance use disorder.
• You are living with Long COVID and its symptoms.
• You are being treated or have completed treatment for cancer.
• You are an older adult experiencing age-related disabilities.
• You are a student with a disability in a public school.
• You are a veteran with a disability (service-connected or otherwise).
• You are a parent with a disability.
• You are a person with a mental health condition.
• You work for a non-US company operating in the US or a US company operating overseas.

You may have responsibilities under the ADA if:

• You are a childcare provider.
• You are putting on an event or conference.
• You are a healthcare provider (including telehealth).
• You operate a small business.
• You are developing a website for a business or organization.
• You operate a detention or correctional facility (PDF).
• You run emergency management services in your community.

These are just a few examples of who may be covered by the ADA. Many of these resources come from the ADA National Network, which includes 10 regional centers and a knowledge translation center. The regional centers offer information, training, and technical assistance to help people with disabilities and public and private entities to understand their rights and responsibilities under the law. Several centers have bilingual staff to assist in Spanish or American Sign Language (ASL). Find your local center online or call 800/949-4ADA (4232) to be connected to the center nearest you.