The Americans with Disabilities Act

ABSTRACT

This study explored smaller businesses' understanding of and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, particularly as it relates to the accommodation of people with physical versus mental disabilities. An ADA compliance score was developed for personnel practices regarding employees with physical and mental disabilities and a comparison of scores was made between employers who could recall any of the requirements of the ADA's Title I and those who could not. The results indicted that employers with recall were significantly more likely to accommodate people with physical disabilities than those with mental disabilities. The research examined employers' use of the EAP in assisting with the accommodation of qualified employees. The findings have implications for EAP vendors, many of whom provide the bulk of external services to smaller businesses.