A note from NAADAC faculty:
The ADA is federal law enacted in 1990, significantly revised through regulatory updates in 2010 and beyond. The resources below are the primary federal authorities — the agencies and documents that ADA coordinators rely on daily. NAADAC conferences provide the expert interpretation that turns these documents into practical compliance guidance.
Primary Federal Agencies
The Federal ADA Authorities
Three federal agencies carry primary responsibility for ADA implementation, technical assistance, and enforcement. Every ADA coordinator should know all three.
Department of Justice
U.S. Department of Justice — ADA.gov
DOJ’s Civil Rights Division / Disability Rights Section is the primary federal enforcer of Titles II and III. ADA.gov is the federal government’s authoritative online source for ADA information.
- ADA.gov — Official ADA information from DOJ ↗
- Title II Regulations (28 CFR Part 35) ↗
- Title III Regulations (28 CFR Part 36) ↗
- 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design ↗
- 2024 Title II Web Accessibility Final Rule ↗
ADA.gov was created by NAADAC Board Chair Jim Bostrom during his tenure as Deputy Chief in DOJ’s Disability Rights Section.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
The EEOC enforces Title I of the ADA — employment discrimination against people with disabilities — and issues regulations, guidance, and technical assistance on reasonable accommodation, medical inquiries, and direct threat.
Access Board
U.S. Access Board
The U.S. Access Board develops and maintains accessibility guidelines and standards under the ADA and related laws — the primary technical authority for physical access, public rights-of-way, and accessible design.
- U.S. Access Board ↗
- ADA Accessibility Standards ↗
- Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) ↗
- ICT Accessibility Standards (Section 508) ↗
- Access Board Webinars & Training ↗
NAADAC faculty member Juliet Shoultz serves as Acting Director of the Office of Technical and Information Services at the U.S. Access Board.
ADA Network
ADA National Network
Ten regional ADA Centers (DBTACs) funded by NIDILRR provide free ADA information, training, and technical assistance to businesses, state and local governments, and individuals.
The ADA Coordinator Role
What is an ADA Coordinator?
The Legal Requirement
Who Must Have an ADA Coordinator
Under 28 CFR § 35.107(a), public entities with 50 or more employees are required by law to designate at least one ADA coordinator, make that person’s contact information available to the public, establish a grievance procedure, conduct a self-evaluation, and develop a transition plan if barriers are identified.
Public entities with fewer than 50 employees are not required to designate a coordinator but remain subject to all ADA obligations.
The Work
What ADA Coordinators Do
- Receive, investigate, and resolve disability-related complaints and grievances
- Coordinate reasonable accommodation requests under Titles I and II
- Advise departments on physical accessibility, program access, and effective communication
- Conduct or oversee self-evaluations and transition plan updates
- Monitor compliance with the 2024 web accessibility rule
- Train staff on ADA obligations relevant to their roles
- Serve as the institution’s primary point of contact in DOJ, OCR, or EEOC inquiries
- Advise leadership on litigation risk, enforcement trends, and compliance program design
Key Laws and Regulations
What ADA Coordinators Are Responsible For
| Law / Rule | What It Covers | Primary Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Americans with Disabilities Act (1990, as amended 2008) | Disability discrimination in employment (I), state/local government programs (II), places of public accommodation (III), telecommunications (IV), miscellaneous (V). | DOJ, EEOC |
| Section 504, Rehabilitation Act (1973) | Disability discrimination by programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. | Federal funding agencies |
| Architectural Barriers Act (1968) | Physical accessibility in federally funded or occupied buildings and facilities. | U.S. Access Board |
| ADA Amendments Act (2008) | Broadened the definition of disability to restore Congressional intent after Supreme Court decisions narrowed ADA coverage. | DOJ, EEOC |
| 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design | Technical standards for physical accessibility in new construction and alterations under Titles II and III. | DOJ |
| 2024 DOJ Title II Web Accessibility Rule | Requires Title II entities to make websites and mobile apps WCAG 2.1 AA accessible. Phase-in timelines vary by entity size. | DOJ |
| Section 508, Rehabilitation Act | Federal agency IT accessibility. Many state and local governments have adopted parallel requirements. | Access Board, GSA |
Sector-Specific Resources
ADA Obligations by Sector
| Sector | Key ADA Issues | Primary Resources |
|---|---|---|
| State & Local Government (Title II) | Program access, grievance procedures, web accessibility (2024 rule), self-evaluations, transition plans, effective communication, service animals | DOJ Title II guidance ↗ |
| Law Enforcement & Corrections | ADA in arrests and investigations, intake and housing in corrections, effective communication, program access in jails and prisons | DOJ Law Enforcement Guide ↗ |
| Higher Education | Student disability services, OCR enforcement, fundamental alteration and undue burden, web accessibility, athletic program access | OCR Section 504 FAQ ↗ |
| Healthcare | Accessible medical services, effective communication with patients, service animals in clinical settings, Section 504 integration | DOJ Healthcare guidance ↗ |
| Employment (Title I) | Reasonable accommodation, medical inquiries, direct threat, ADA interaction with FMLA and workers’ compensation | EEOC Disability Discrimination ↗ |
| Physical Access & Design | 2010 ADA Standards, PROWAG, path-of-travel obligations, new construction and alterations, self-evaluations | Access Board ADA Standards ↗ |
The Expert Interpretation Is What NAADAC Provides
Federal agency websites provide the law and the regulations. NAADAC provides what no federal website can: expert interpretation of how those rules apply in real situations — from the attorneys who drafted them, enforced them, and have spent careers explaining them to the people responsible for compliance