Knowing your legal rights guaranteed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a crucial step in living your best life as a person with MS. Titles 1-4 are of utmost concern as they impact many facets of daily life, including workplaces, public transportation and public spaces.
Employment
Employers must provide reasonable accommodations to qualified job candidates to ensure they can participate in the application process regardless of disability. Additionally, employers with fifteen or more employees must accommodate the needs of those employees so that they can carry out their jobs as best as possible regardless of disability. For example, if you have MS and you have mobility issues, you may need a parking space closer to the office or you may need to telecommute.
State and local government services
Qualified candidates with disabilities must be accommodated in all publicly operated programs, activities and services. This covers city or state government offices, public schools, community colleges, city police departments and public libraries, among other institutions. So, for example, public libraries may have to install an elevator or ramp to make sure they’re accessible to everyone. This section also provides protections against discrimination with public transportation, including subway stations, city buses, commuter rail, Amtrak and paratransit (door-to-door transportation).
Public accommodations
Privately owned spaces open to the public, such as hotels, restaurants, golf courses and stores, must reasonably accommodate people with disabilities. For example, a store must make modifications to its fitting rooms to accommodate people using wheelchairs and those who need a carepartner’s help in trying on clothes. This title also prohibits discriminatory rules and regulations.
Telecommunications
Telecommunications companies, such as phone and internet providers, must accommodate people with speech difficulties and hearing impairments. For example, phone carriers must provide telecommunication relay services that allow people with hearing or speech impairments to communicate using teletypewriters (TTYs, also known as “telecommunications devices”) or another non-voice device. Title IV also requires all television public service announcements produced or funded in whole or in part by the Federal government to include closed captioning.