Americans with Disabilities ActADA
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a United States civil-rights law, passed in 1990, that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities across employment, public services, and public accommodations. Its employment provisions, in Title I, apply to employers with 15 or more employees and are enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
In hiring and employment, the ADA requires employers not to discriminate against a qualified person with a disability — someone who can perform the essential functions of a job with or without accommodation — and to provide reasonable accommodation, such as adjusted equipment, modified schedules, or accessible facilities, unless that would impose undue hardship. It also limits when medical examinations and disability-related questions may be asked during recruitment, shaping how interviews and offers are structured.
The ADA is US-specific. India’s counterpart is the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, which prohibits disability discrimination, requires reasonable accommodation, and mandates reservation in government employment. A GCC hiring in India follows the Indian Act rather than the ADA, though a US parent typically applies ADA standards to its domestic workforce and often extends comparable accessibility and accommodation commitments across its global sites as policy.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Americans with Disabilities Act?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a US federal law prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities, including in employment. It requires covered employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified employees and applicants unless doing so causes undue hardship.
What is reasonable accommodation under the ADA?
Reasonable accommodation is a change to the job or workplace that lets a qualified employee or applicant with a disability perform the essential functions of a role — such as adjusted equipment, a modified schedule, or accessible facilities. Employers must provide it unless it would cause undue hardship.
Which employers must comply with the ADA?
The ADA’s employment provisions apply to US employers with 15 or more employees and are enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The law also covers public services and public accommodations more broadly.
Does the ADA apply in India?
No. The ADA is US-specific. India’s equivalent is the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, which prohibits disability discrimination, requires reasonable accommodation, and provides reservation in government employment.