Illinois ADA Project

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 would like to thank our collaborative partners: The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; disaiblityworks; the Chicagoland Business Leadership Network (CBLN); and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce for their support of the Illinois ADA Project. Please see our Resource Page for more information on these organizations.

I.	About the Illinois ADA Project
II.	The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
	A.	Goals of the ADA
	B.	Benefits of ADA Awareness

The ADA Webinar Series for 2010 is offered free of charge by the DBTAC: Great Lakes ADA Center. More information is available at: www.ada-audio.org/Webinar/ADALegal.

• June 2, 2010:  “Invisible Disabilities” and the ADA
• August 4, 2010: The EEOC and the ADA
• September 29, 2010:  Litigation under the ADA Amendments Act

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:

1800getajob A Personnel Commitment Access Living Accessibility Consultation & Training Services Association Forum of Chicagoland Chicago Workforce Board Chicagoland Business Leadership Network  C hicagoland Chamber of Commerce Deloitte disabilityworks  Equip for Equality Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Illinois Department of Human Services

Illinois Division of Rehabilitation Services Illinois Network of Centers for Independent Living (INCIL) LifeCare Design Studio Mark Trieglaff and Associates  Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD)  Mayor's Office of Workforce Development (MOWD)  Northern Trust  Rush University Medical Center Statewide Independent Living Council  The DBTAC: Great Lakes ADA and IT Center Village of Oak Park  Walgreens West Suburban Access News Association

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.