Terms to Know

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Accessible.

Describes a site, building, facility or portion thereof that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act Guidelines/ADAAG. Also refers to programs and services that are available to and useable by persons with disabilities and/or ways of making programs and services usable by persons with disabilities. This means providing access to, participation in or participation in the benefits of the programs and services.

Accessibility.

Physical Accessibility.

Refers to what is commonly thought of as accessibility. Facilities that people with disabilities can enter independently and use the building without assistance. Physical accessibility refers not only to wheelchair access, but also to access for people with sensory, cognitive and health–related disabilities.

Programmatic Accessibility.

Refers to making adjustments in the ways services are provided in order to level the playing field and allow all people an equal opportunity to participate.

Electronic Accessibility.

Refers not only to computers and adaptive software and hardware, it also means technological solutions to other issues of accessibility.

Accommodation.

Describes making programs, services and facilities accessible to and usable by people with disabilities. To accommodate a person with a disability may mean making a modification in the regular program, adapting service delivery, and/or removing barriers in a facility. Accommodation allows separated programs when necessary to ensure equal opportunity, however, individuals with disabilities cannot be excluded from the regular program for which accommodations may be necessary nor can they be required to accept separate or special services or benefits.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Refers to civil rights legislation enacted in 1990 as Public Law 101–336, 104 Stat. 327 (42 U.S.C. 12101). This act makes it illegal to discriminate against people with disabilities in employment, public services, public accommodations, transportation and services operated by private entities, and telecommunications. In some circumstances, this law requires entities to take pro–active steps to ensure equal access to goods, services and facilities.

Auxiliary Aids and Services.

Devices or services that compensate for a disabling condition, usually divided into four categories:

qualified interpreters, note takers, transcription services, written materials.
telephone handset amplifiers, assisting listening devices and systems, telephones compatible with hearing aids, closed caption decoders, open and closed captioning, TTY'S, videotext displays, or other effective methods of making aurally delivered materials available to individuals with hearing impairments.
acquisition or modification of equipment or devices; and
other similar services and actions; referenced in ADA'S DOJ regulations for Titles 11 and 111.

Blind.

A condition in which a person has no usable sight, not to be confused with low vision, a condition in which a person has some sight.

Deaf.

A condition in which a person has no usable hearing, not to be confused with hard of hearing.

Disability.

A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; has a record of such an impairment; or is regarded as having such an impairment.

Equally Effective.

This term refers to "equivalent" as opposed to "identical" aids, benefits or services. To be equally effective, an aid, benefit or service need not produce equal results, it must merely afford equal opportunities for people with disabilities to achieve equal results, or to gain equivalent benefits and reach the same level of achievement as non–disabled people.

Handicap.

This term has been replaced with the term "disability". See disability.

Hard of Hearing.

A clinical diagnostic term used to describe an impaired hearing condition that cannot be corrected with hearing aids, medications or surgery.

"Has a Record of Such Impairment"

Refers to a person who has a history of a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.

"Is Regarded As Having An Impairment"

Refers to an individual that has a physical or mental impairment that does not substantially limit a major life activity, but that is treated by a public entity as constituting such a limitation; has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity only as a result of the attitudes of others towards such impairment; has none of the impairments defined above in physical or mental impairment, but is treated as having such an impairment. Referenced in the EEOC and DOJ Titles II and III regulations for the ADA.

Low Vision.

A clinical diagnostic term used to describe an impaired visual condition that cannot be improved by conventional glasses, medications or surgery.

Major Live Activities.

Functions such as caring for one's self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, healing, breathing, learning and working. Referenced in the EEOC and DOJ Titles II and III regulations for the ADA.

Physical or Mental Impairment.

Any physiological disorder or condition, cosmetic disfigurement or anatomical loss affecting one or more of the following body systems.

Neurological, musculoskeletal, special sense organs, respiratory including speech organs, cardiovascular, reproductive, digestive, genitourinary, hemic and hymphatic, skin and endocrine.
Any mental or psychological disorder such as organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness and specific learning disabilities.
This term includes, but is not limited to such contagious and noncontagious diseases and conditions as orthopedic, visual, speech and hearing impairments, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, HIV disease whether symptomatic or asymptomatic, tuberculosis, drug addiction and alcoholism (note: does not include an individual who is currently engaging in the illegal use of drugs or active alcoholism).

Program Accessibility.

Refers to ensuring nondiscrimination and equal opportunities for persons with disabilities to utilize and participate in programs and activities. Program accessibility is a flexible principle, allowing recipients to comply based on individual responses to their existing conditions and the needs of participants with disabilities. Steps to achieve program accessibility are indicated as a result of self–evaluation or in response to requests from participants.

Qualified Interpreter.

An interpreter who is able to interpret effectively, accurately, and impartially both receptively and expressively, using any necessary specialized vocabulary. Referenced in ADA'S DOJ Title II regulations.

Section 504 Refers to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Pub. 1.93–1 12, 87 Stat. 394 (29 U.S.C. : 791 et seq).

Guarantees specific rights in Federally funded programs and services to people who qualify as disabled. This section makes it illegal to deny access to, participation in, or exclusion of the benefits from any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

Self Identification.

Refers to the responsibility of the person with a disability to make the disability known when requesting an accommodation or auxiliary aid.

Service Animal.

Any animal trained to assist a person with a disability with everyday living. No service animal should be distracted, fed or played with while the animal is on duty.

Substantially Limited.

Unable to perform a major life activity than the average person in the general population can perform; or significantly restricted as to the condition, manner or duration under which an individual can perform a particular major life activity as compared to a person in the general population. Regarding the major life activity of working, it means significantly restricted in the ability to perform either a class of jobs or a broad range of jobs as compared to a person having comparable training skills and abilities. The determination of whether a condition substantially limits a person is based on the condition's impact on an individual, not on the existence of that condition. Referenced in EEOC regulations.

TTY (teletypewriter), also known as TDD (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf or TT (text telephone).

TTY is the preferred term. Equipment that displays type in order to telecommunicate with people who are deaf or hard of hearing or who have speech impairments. This equipment employs interactive graphic, i.e., typed communications through the transmission of coded signals across the standard telephone network. Computer software allows a computer to be used as a TTY, however, most software other than software for Windows 95 requires exiting all other applications before bringing up the TTY software. A modem is also required to utilize a computer as a TTY.

Visual Impairment.