ABSTRACT
The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed less than a decade ago as a new
federal law requiring all organizations to provide equal access and opportunities for
employment to individuals with disabilities. The primary goal of the law is to facilitate
equal opportunities for full participation of people with disabilities in virtually all
American organizations (Miller, 1997). To conform with the mandates of this new law,
avoid potential litigation and fines, and preserve any federal funding, most business,
education, and government organizations are developing and implementing new
strategies for accomplishing the goals of the ADA. While this act promises to open up
many new opportunities for people living with physical challenges, it may appear that in
actual practice many of the strategies developed by organizations in response to the ADA
have been superficial, focus more on form than on substance, and leave a large
communication gap between the work lives and career opportunities of the ablebodied
and the physically challenged.
