Welcome to the Illinois ADA Project Homepage
Our goal is to educate, enrich, and enlighten the people, businesses, and organizations of Illinois regarding the ADA. Read about what we do in the Our Services Section.
- The Illinois ADA Project is funded by the DBTAC-Great Lakes ADA Center to provide ADA information to individuals and private and public organizations throughout Illinois.
DBTAC - Great Lakes ADA Center
Announcing the 2008 Legal Issues Webinar Series: Employment and the ADA The DBTAC-Great Lakes ADA Center is pleased to announce a new educational opportunity for 2008. This program will focus on employment issues and disability discrimination under the ADA.
This webinar series will utilize an on line conferencing system. The Online Conferencing System is a fully accessible integrated data and voice medium that enables users to conduct workshops over the Internet from just about any computer with a high speed network connection and web browser. Participation is enhanced with use of a personal microphone.
COST: $100 per session. Discounts are available if you register for more than one session in the series. (10% discount for 2 sessions, 15% discount for 3-4 sessions, 20% discount for 5-6 sessions).
TIME: Each session is 90 minutes in length. They will be held from 1:00-2:30 p.m. Central Time Zone (CT) on dates specified.
Upcoming Sessions
June 3, 2008 - Qualified as related to Reasonable Accommodations such as Leave, Reassignment and Job Modifications
Are employees who need leave, reassignment or modified job duties still qualified employees with disabilities under the ADA? This session will review the ADA and its regulations, EEOC guidance, and recent case law decision that focus on how certain accommodation requests relate to employees' abilities to perform essential job functions.
July 22, 2008 - ADA Coverage Beyond Actual Disability: Regarded As, Record of, and Association Disability
The ADA provides protections to people who may not have a current ADA defined disability. This session will review the ADA and its regulations; EEOC guidance and recent case law, as well as provide employers with information that will help them to avoid pitfalls that may be encountered when navigating this often overlooked area of the law.
September 23, 2008 - Direct Threat/Safety in the Workplace
What does the ADA require when an employee poses a potential threat to health and safety in the workplace? This session will review the ADA and its regulations, EEOC guidance and recent case law and provide employers with information about conducting an individualized assessment and the role of reasonable accommodations to address the potential threat.
For more information, please contact the DBTAC - Great Lakes ADA Center www.adagreatlakes.org · E-mail: gldbtac@uic.edu · Telephone/TTY: 312-413-1407 (V/TTY) or 800-949-4232 (V/TTY) in IL, IN, MI, MN, OH or WI
Previous Sessions
January 22, 2008 - Reasonable Accommodations for People with Psychiatric Disabilities
Many employers find it challenging to understand how to effectively provide reasonable accommodations to people with psychiatric disabilities. This session will review the ADA and its regulations, EEOC guidance and recent case law decisions surrounding reasonable accommodations for people with psychiatric disabilities in the workplace and resources available to assist employers.
March 4, 2008 - Medical Inquiries/Hiring/Confidentiality
Learn how to acquire, use and protect employee medical information to meet legitimate business needs without violating the ADA. This session will review the ADA and its regulations, EEOC guidance and recent case law decisions regarding the acquisitions, use and protection of employee medical information, along with practical tips to assist with complying with these requirements under the ADA. Specific issues include whether personality tests violate the ADA, whether a person without a disability has standing to raise an ADA violation, and how the courts have interpreted the ADA's confidentiality provisions.
April 22, 2008 - Disability Harassment/Retaliation/Discipline
Disability harassment, retaliation and discipline are emerging workplace issues presenting unique challenges to employers. This session will review the ADA and its regulations and recent case law decisions and provide practical tips for navigating these new and complex areas of the law.
About the Illinois ADA Project
The work of the Illinois ADA Project is guided by a Steering Committee that includes individuals with disabilities, advocates, service providers, government agencies, and businesses. The Illinois ADA Project Steering Committee consists of representatives from the following organizations:
Northern Trust
Walgreens
The DBTAC: Great Lakes ADA and IT Center
Equip for Equality
Chicago Workforce Board
Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
disabilityworks
Chicagoland Business Leadership Network
Illinois Department of Human Services
Illinois Division of Rehabilitation Services
Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD)
Mayor's Office of Workforce Development (MOWD)
Access Living
Illinois Network of Centers for Independent Living (INCIL)
Statewide Independent Living Council
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital
Association Forum of Chicagoland
Accessibility Consultation & Training Services
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The ADA is the 1990 Civil Rights Law designed to protect the civil rights of people with disabilities in the United States of America. The ADA seeks to ensure that people with disabilities are fully integrated into the fabric of society. The Act prohibits discrimination, requires that businesses provide reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities and provides that facilities and services be made accessible. The five parts of the ADA are:
- Title I: Employment
- Title II: State and Local Governments
- Title III: Public Accommodations and Commerical Facilities
- Title IV: Telecommunications
- Title V: Miscellaneous
Goals of the ADA
- Equal treatment under the law
- Fairness to individuals, businesses, and the government
- Independence
- Access to facilities and services
- A diverse, integrated, and welcoming society for people with disabilities
- Clear, enforceable standards
Benefits of Increased ADA Awareness
Increasing ADA awareness will lead to a society where America's goals of freedom, equality, justice, and fairness can be attained and each individual’s uniqueness is fully appreciated and their potential realized.
