Other Laws & Protections

The ADA National Network does not provide direct attorney referrals, but the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) maintains the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) system — the largest provider of legally based advocacy services for people with disabilities in the country. There is a P&A agency in every state and U.S. territory. Find yours at ndrn.org. Your state or local bar association can also be a starting point for finding legal representation. Many states have reduced-fee legal aid services for disability-related matters. Source: ADA National Network

No. The ADA does not override health and safety requirements established under other federal laws. Employers must comply with OSHA standards even if they adversely affect someone with a disability. However, employers still must consider whether reasonable accommodations could allow compliance with both the ADA and those other laws. The ADA also does not override state or local public health and safety laws — except where those laws conflict with ADA requirements. In those cases, the ADA takes precedence. Source: ADA National Network

Yes. The ADA's public accommodations provisions allow an individual to challenge discrimination based on a reasonable belief that it is about to occur — they do not need to wait for it to happen. For example, a person who uses a wheelchair can challenge the planned construction of an inaccessible shopping mall before it is built, when corrective measures would be far less expensive. Source: ADA National Network