About one in five Americans has some type of disability and may face discrimination in the workplace. In September 1973, President Richard M. Nixon signed H.R. 8070, sponsored by Representative John Brandemas. (DIN). From a legal perspective, this represents a profound and historic change in American disability policy. With the passage of Section 504 of H.R. 8070 (called The Rehabilitation Act of 1973), which prohibited discrimination on the basis of disability, it was the first time that people with disabilities were considered a group – a minority group. This section also provided opportunities for children and adults with disabilities in education and employment and allowed reasonable accommodations such as special study areas and assistance as needed for students with disabilities. Moving forward, in 1990, Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act (the ADA). ), and with that, various new protections for eligible disabled employees became law (this law was amended in 2008 and these changes took effect January 1, 2009). The mission of the ADA is “to ensure equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities” (42 USC § 12101(a)(8)). The goal of the ADA is to eliminate discrimination and remove physical barriers that prevent Americans with disabilities from receiving the same benefits as their non-disabled peers in the workplace, when shopping, in restaurants, and elsewhere public gathering places. ADA protection is limited to those who can establish a physical or mental impairment that limits one or more major life activities or to those who have a history of such an impairment. It is important to note that the scope of ...... middle of paper ...... child bled, many of them focus on the immediate concerns of how the child will function in school and what services will be available. to him or her. As these children grow up and are ready to graduate from high school and enter the workforce, the options available to them are often limited. As a result, many adults with autism or other cognitive disabilities receive state disability income or remain in the care of their parents throughout their lives (www.eeoc.gov). The ADA did not come into existence on July 26, 1990, nor in 1988, when it was first introduced to Congress. It started when mothers and fathers saw their disabled children left behind. It all started when people with disabilities challenged the barriers that excluded them from their communities. It all started when social activists started fighting for the rights of people with disabilities. Without the work of so many people, there would be no ADA.