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You are here: Employee Services > Managers & Liaisons > Policy and Practices > Americans with Disabilities Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Understanding What the ADA Means

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) emphasizes individual abilities rather than disabilities, as well as protects the employment and access rights of impaired individuals. Individuals with disabilities should be given the same considerations and courtesies that are afforded to other applicants and employees.

A disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment which limits one or more major life activities such as seeing, speaking, hearing, breathing, walking, or learning. The ADA also applies to individuals who have a record of such impairment or are regarded as having such impairment. The ADA does not protect illegal drug use, gambling, kleptomania, temporary injuries, or illnesses.

Who Can Help?

ADA Access Inquiry: available on the Rules and Regulatory Compliance web page.

ADA Contact Persons at Texas A&M University

An employee who requires a reasonable accommodation should inform their supervisor. Departments can find support for responding to accommodation requests by contacting the appropriate University ADA contact person.

ADA Reasonable Accommodation Quick Reference

Reasonable accommodations are adjustments or modifications of a job or work site which, when provided, will allow an individual with an impairment to accomplish the tasks associated with his or her job. Degrees of disability differ; therefore, each accommodation request should be reviewed on a case by case basis. Reasonable accommodations do not include personal items such as hearing aids, eye glasses or wheelchairs.

The ADA Quick Reference is designed to assist in the analysis of requests for reasonable accommodation under the ADA. This guide is not intended to be a substitute for assistance from Employee Services, the Office of the Dean of Faculties, or Services for Students with Disabilities. Please consult these individual offices for assistance in complying with the ADA.