Quick Facts about the ADA & IT Technical Assistance Centers
Mission
- Facilitate voluntary and effective compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
Goals
- Promote the successful implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act by providing technical assistance and training on all titles of the Act
- Increase public awareness about the benefits of ADA compliance
- Develop and support local and state affiliates that provide technical assistance on the ADA
- Enhance existing national, regional, state, and local ADA efforts
- Undertake outreach initiatives to minority populations affected by the law
- Identify ADA issues for research and development
- Provide technical assistance to schools and educators on making information technology accessible to all users.
Core Services
- Provide answers to technical questions via a national toll-free hotline—
1-800-949-4232 V/TTY- ADA requirements are explained to anyone who contacts the Centers (including entities with responsibilities and people with protections under the law) and complex questions are researched using regulations, policy letters, administrative rulings, and other supporting materials/resources
- All calls are confidential and automatically routed to the Center that serves the state where the call originates
- Distribute accurate and current information/materials to the regional service area through mailings, regional newsletters, web sites, listservs, conferences, exhibits, and state-of-the-art teleconferences
- Provide training programs with up-to-date information on the ADA and its implementation tailored to meet specific customer needs
- Provide training and technical assistance to schools and educators on accessible information technology.
- Provide referrals for specialized expertise through an extensive resource database
General information about the Centers
- Furnish service to customers since 1991*
- Earn five-year competitive grant awards
- Work closely with Federal agencies responsible for interpreting and enforcing the ADA (long-standing relationship with EEOC, DOJ, and the Access Board)
- Participate in biannual Project Directors meetings in Washington, DC to be apprised of the latest developments in the law and to collaborate on common goals
- Receive in-depth training from the DOJ, EEOC, and the Access Board
- Exist within a variety of settings - universities, private businesses, disability organizations and state government
- A Program Assistance Coordinator (PAC), also funded by NIDRR, provides support services to all ten Centers
Performance**
- Fielded over 940,000 ADA-related inquiries on the toll-free number
- Responded to more than 2 million requests for technical assistance and referrals
- Trained 929,000 people nationwide on various titles of the ADA in 24,000 separate training sessions
- Disseminated more than 12.7 million ADA-related materials including 80,000 in alternate formats such as large print, audio tape or diskette
* From 1991 - 2001 the Centers were
known as Disability and Technical Assistance Centers. Since 2001, most
centers adopted the name ADA & IT Technical Assistance Centers to
better reflect their added responsibilities in the area of accessible
information technology
** Includes information from the 2004 ADA Technical Assistance
Program Report.
The Centers are authorized by NIDRR to provide information, materials, and technical assistance to individuals and entities that are covered by the ADA. NIDRR is not responsible for the enforcement of the ADA. The information, materials, and/or technical assistance are intended solely as informational guidance, and are neither a determination of legal rights or responsibilities under the act, nor binding on any agency with enforcement responsibilities under the ADA.
Funding
Funding for the Centers comes from the United States Department of Education's National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).