In early 2021, the MPVA was awarded a grant from ADA Michigan, an affiliate of the Great Lakes ADA Center, to highlight how the pandemic has influenced the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). We chose to educate organizations, businesses, our members, and people with disabilities in Michigan on two important topics. The first webinar—which took place in late May 2021— dealt with what the ADA has to say about access rights that have affected people during this challenging time. The second webinar presentation is below—which took place in late August 2021—discussed what the ADA has to say about the increasingly important issue of digital accessibility, as well as assistive technology.
Highlights: ADA 101 & COVID-19
- The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) purpose: eliminate discrimination & expand integration. The webinar highlighted the ADA’s Titles and how they impact us:
- Title 1: Employment— details how all parts of the employment process (from application to on-the-job) are to be free from discrimination for an individual with a disability. Title I goes on to add provisions for “reasonable accommodations” for an employee with a disability to do their job effectively. The pandemic has reshaped the landscape of employment; some of which became beneficial to workers with disabilities as work from home policies were used. Adaptations, like work from home, worked well for some but the unemployment rate for the workforce with disabilities saw almost a double % increase as compared to employees without disabilities during the pandemic. It is important for our members to advocate for themselves in their work environments and understand how to advocate for reasonable adaptations.
- Both Title II (Public Services) & Title III (Public Accommodations) rely on integration and mandates certain physical accessibility. Yet, Title III (Public Accommodations) calls for the importance of advocacy and our call on businesses to meet the requirements of providing equal access to goods and services during even during and after a pandemic.
Highlights: Paving the Way: Information Access
- Digital Accessibility and Assistive Technologies are increasingly important topics. Digital accessibility is the process of making digital products accessible to everyone. It is about providing all users access to the same information, regardless of the impairments they may have. The Assistive Technology Act defines assistive technology as “any item, piece of equipment, or product system…that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.”
- Digital Accessibility, as supported by the ADA, is proving vital as the way of society, employment, commerce, and more becomes increasingly internet-based–especially because of and in the wake of the pandemic of 2020–it is vital that ALL are able to access the digital landscape.
- The ADA considers Accessible Technology as part of “reasonable accommodations” under Title I: Employment. It also supports its broad technologies as an important part of a community-based and independent right.
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