California and Texas ADA Attorney
What is ADA title II?
The protections that ADA provides to persons with disabilities are not limited to physical
barriers in existing public facilities.
Under Title II, persons with disabilities must have an equal opportunity to participate in and
benefit from state and local programs.
Broad Coverage
“The ADA Amendments Act of 2008 states that the definition of disability should be construed
in favor of broad coverage of people to the maximum extent permitted by the law and
generally should not require extensive analysis. In the past, there was some debate over what
activities were considered “major life activities” for ADA purposes. One of the most contentious
issues was whether someone with a medical condition that only affected internal functions
would be covered. Conditions such as gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, cancer and heart
disease often only affect bodily functions without producing any outward limitations such as
difficulty walking, talking or performing manual tasks. The ADA Amendments Act cleared up the
confusion by stating that bodily functions are indeed major life activities. The law lists functions
of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain,
respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions.
Congress wanted the focus to be on ensuring that people have an equal opportunity to
participate and are not discriminated against, rather than on whether someone meets a narrow
definition. (adaactionguide.org/ada-title-ii-requirements)”