Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal law that protects the rights of disabled people and protects these individuals from discrimination based on their disabilities. All American businesses need to comply with the ADA in both terms of customers and employees. Child care providers also need to be in compliance with this law. In a child care setting the law protects students, their families, and the employees of the program. As it pertains to our students, children with disabilities cannot be excluded from programs solely on the basis of their disability. The ADA aims to promote inclusion and equal opportunities for all children regardless of their abilities. As Early Childhood Professionals our aim should be the same as this law’s – providing opportunities to all children is what our profession is all about.
There are many steps for our child care programs and facilities to take in order to be ADA compliant. In this month’s newsletter we examine how the ADA pertains to our preschool programs and services. We show how the law applies specifically to our centers and programs. The newsletter discusses how to make our facilities accessible and compliant with the law. We also dive into how we can promote and provide inclusive child care and the benefits that an inclusive program provides to everyone associated with it. How to approach and work with families whose children have disabilities is examined to determine how we can better serve these families.
Compliance with the ADA is mandated by law, but as educators we should strive to provide the best possible care to all of the children in our communities.
For the article How Does the ADA Apply to a Child Care Provider?, CLICK HERE
For the article Making the Child Care Facility Accessible and Compliant with the ADA, CLICK HERE
For the article Promoting and Providing Inclusive Child Care, CLICK HERE
For the article Approaching and Working with Families Whose Children Have Disabilities, CLICK HERE