ADA and Affirmative Action
The United States of America is a culturally diverse place. There are people from all over the world living in here. There are people from different cultures, people with different religious and moral standards and beliefs, and people from different races and of different ethnicities. There are also people living amongst us that face special circumstances such as being physically or mentally disabled, challenged by a chronic illness or even sexual orientation. Throughout history there have been cases where people have been discriminated against, ostracized and excluded based solely on their race, culture, religion, or disabilities. The American Disabilities Act and Affirmative Action are examples of two separate laws that were put into place to protect these people, and in turn offering these people equal opportunities.
The American Disabilities Act or ADA was put into place initially in 1990 by President George W. Bush. The ADA is a civil rights law that protects people with disabilities. The ADA describes a person with a disability as follows: “An individual with a disability is a person who -- has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, or has a record of such an impairment” (U.S. Department of Justice, American Disabilities Act, 2012). Specific illnesses covered are epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, heart disease, mental retardation, cancer, and diabetes. Specific learning, speech and hearing impairments are also covered. The act is most known for changing the standards in the way public places are accessed. For example, prior to the ADA buildings were not all required to have a wheelchair ramp. This meant a person in a wheelchair might not have been able to access this particular public establishment. The ADA made it law to “Provide goods and services in an integrated