Spencer ADA Task Force

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted on July 26, 1990. This landmark legislation provides comprehensive civil rights protection to individuals with disabilities in the areas of employment, public accommodations, state and local government services and programs, and telecommunications. The ADA prohibits all state and local governments and some provide businesses from discriminating on the basis of disability.

Most of the provisions of the ADA build on an existing framework - that of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended. Many businesses and jurisdictions have complied with the nondiscrimination and record keeping provisions of Section 504 in the past.

The purpose of the American with Disabilities Act of 1990 is:

*to provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities;

*to provide clear, strong, consistent, enforceable standards addressing discrimination against individuals with disabilities;

*to ensure that the Federal Government plays a central role in enforcing the standards established in this Act on behalf of individuals with disabilities; and

*to invoke the sweep of congressional authority, including the power to enforce the fourteenth amendment and to regulate commerce, in order to address the major areas of discrimination faced day-today by people with disabilities.

The Americans with Disabilities Act Task Force of Spencer was organized on May 12, 1992 to provide assistance to the City of Spencer in complying with the ADA Comprised both of persons with disabilities and those who work with the disabled, the Task Force includes representatives from the following local population segments: the mentally ill, retarded adults, retarded children, the visually impaired, the speech and hearing impaired, the physically disabled and the elderly. Donna Fisher, Spencer City Clerk, said the initial plan for the Task Force was to ensure the city was addressing the needs of the local handicapped population, as per the requirements of the ADA act. However, the group decided it would look beyond the boundaries of city hall to address needs throughout the community. Among the observations made by the task force at its initial meeting was the need for a directory alerting local residents with handicaps to the various handicap-accessible features in Spencer area businesses, such as parking, entrances and restrooms. Another need pointed out by the Task Force, are neighborhood signs alerting motorists that sight impaired youths might be playing. Such signs are available for the hearing impaired, but none have been erected yet for the visually impaired. The Task Force also found that Spencer does not appear to offer many advocacy groups for residents with handicaps. It is hoped the ADA Task Force can assume this role.

ADA Home