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ADA Compliance: Are Your Facilities and Communications--Including Web Sites--Accessible to People with Disabilities?

NCJ Number
222221
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 35 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2008 Pages: 68,70,75
Author(s)
Rebecca Kanable
Date Published
January 2008
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Abstract
Under the ADA, people who have disabilities are entitled to the same services law enforcement provides to anyone else. They may not be excluded or segregated from services, be denied services, or otherwise treated differently than other people. To both provide services to people with disabilities and comply with Federal law, then, law enforcement agencies need to be aware of and fully comply with the ADA. For example, not knowing how to communicate with a hearing impaired witness hinders effective law enforcement. Through Project Civic Access, the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) disability rights section offers many resources to help counties, cities, towns, and villages eliminate physical and communication barriers and prevent people from participating fully in community life. Many technical assistance documents can be found at www.ADA.gov. In the center of the site’s home page, law enforcement managers and officers can click on ADA Information for Law Enforcement to find information just for them. The article concludes with specific information for overcoming physical barriers, communications barriers, and accessible Web sites to help agencies gain full compliance with Federal disabilities regulations.