This brochure is one of a series on human resources practices and workplace accommodations for persons with disabilities edited by Susanne M. Bruyère, Ph.D., CRC, Director, Employment and Disability Institute, Cornell University ILR School. This brochure was written by Susanne Bruyère in 1996, and updated in 2001. It was further updated in 2011 by Beth Reiter, an independent legal consultant, Ithaca, N.Y., with assistance from Sara Furguson, a Cornell University Employment and Disability Institute student research assistant

Bruyere, Susanne

Reiter, Elizabeth

English

This material was produced by the Employment and Disability Institute in the Cornell University ILR School. Development of the original brochure series was funded by a grant from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) (grant #H133D10155). Content updates were funded by NIDRR grant number H133 A110020. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.This brochure is one of a series on human resources practices and workplace accommodations for persons with disabilities edited by Susanne M. Bruyère, Ph.D., CRC, Director, Employment and Disability Institute, Cornell University ILR School. This brochure was written by Susanne Bruyère in 1996, and updated in 2001. It was further updated in 2011 by Beth Reiter, an independent legal consultant, Ithaca, N.Y., with assistance from Sara Furguson, a Cornell University Employment and Disability Institute student research assistant.A96_PDF.pdf: 442 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

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The ADA and Personnel Training

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	 W W W . H R T I P S . O R G 	 1A D V A N C I N G 	 T H E 	 W O R L D 	 O F 	 W O R K w w w . h r t i p s . o r g
What is The Americans with Disabilities Act? 
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a landmark piece of civil rights 
legislation that extends the prohibition against discrimination on the basis of 
race, color, sex, religion, national origin, and age to persons with disabilities.  Be-
cause the ADA covers all aspects of participation in society, such as employment, 
public accommodations, transportation, and telecommunications, its impact is 
felt in business organizations in multiple ways.  Businesses are covered by the 
ADA both as employers and as providers of goods and services. It is therefore 
important that each business organization equip its employees for compliance 
with the ADA by providing appropriate information and personnel training on 
the ADA’s requirements, its relevance to the functioning of the organization as a 
whole, and the responsibilities of specific personnel. 
Which Personnel in our Organization Should Receive ADA Training?
The impact of the ADA is broad.  Everyone in your organization would find 
information and training on the ADA relevant to their jobs. General information 
could be useful to all employees, informing them of their rights and obligations 
under the ADA. 
The ADA and 
Personnel Training
2 	 The	ADA	and	Personnel	Training
In the fall of 1998, the Society for Human 
Resource Management (SHRM) partnered 
with Cornell University to conduct a survey 
of SHRM members.1   The purpose of this 
survey was to assess the ADA’s impact on HR 
practice since implementation, and one of the 
items studied was training conducted on the 
ADA.  The survey asked respondents if their 
organizations’ employees had been trained in 
a number of ADA-related topics, including: 
non-discriminatory recruitment and hiring, 
the accommodation process, equal access in 
promotional opportunities and training, ac-
commodation for mental health problems, 
defining essential job functions, confidenti-
ality requirements of medical information, 
limitations and exclusions the ADA and other 
federal laws allow health plans to impose, 
non-discrimination in the disciplinary process 
or termination, conflict resolution in the ac-
commodation process, disability awareness or 
sensitivity training, and interaction with other 
state and federal legislation.  In nearly all of 
the areas, more than half of the respondents 
(813 SHRM members were interviewed) indi-
cated their employees received training. 
Employers should consider the best way to 
train their personnel so that they may benefit 
from ADA training both to ensure that their 
actions are in compliance with the ADA, and 
that they are properly responsive to persons 
with disabilities.  Although all employees 
should receive some training, there are catego-
ries of personnel that should be considered for 
specialized training.  These include: training or 
staff development personnel; human resource 
development professionals; top management; 
1 Cornell University received funding for this research 
from the US Department of Education National Insti-
tute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) 
as a Research and Demonstration Project (Grant No. 
H133A70005); and it worked with the Society for Hu-
man Resource Management (SHRM), the Washington 
Business Group on Health (WBGH), and the Lewin 
Group.  An Executive Sum-mary is available on-line 
from Cornell University at http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/
edi/
middle managers; front line supervisors; line 
employees; union leadership and field repre-
sentatives; benefits and compensation staff; 
safety and environmental health personnel; 
recruitment and job interviewing personnel; 
industrial/organizational psychologists or oth-
er personnel doing pre-employment screening; 
organizational development personnel; ergo-
nomic specialists; short and long-term disabil-
ity managers; technology personnel; customer 
relations representatives; and receptionists 
and others who interact with the public.
Which Kinds of ADA Information 
Should be Shared with These 
Personnel? 
All of your employees would benefit from 
some basic knowledge about the existence of 
the ADA and its requirements.  More specific 
information should be directly relevant to the 
functioning of personnel in the job categories 
listed above, whose responsibilities might be 
impacted by the requirements of a particular 
provision of the ADA.  The following are some 
examples of personnel training that can be 
considered and targeted to meet the unique 
information needs of personnel, dependent 
upon their job functioning: 
• Overall knowledge of all titles of the ADA 
• Knowledge specific to the ADA employ-
ment provisions
• Knowledge specific to the ADA public ac-
commodations provisions
• Employment pre-screening and applicant 
interviewing under the ADA 
• Medical, drug, and other testing under the 
ADA 
• Relationship between the ADA and other 
state and federal employment and non-
discrimination legislation
• Identifying essential job functions
	 W W W . H R T I P S . O R G 	 3
• Writing job descriptions that identify es-
sential job functions 
• The reasonable accommodation process
• General information regarding specific dis-
abilities and possible accommodations
• Job evaluation and compensation informa-
tion for persons with disabilities
• Career equity/promotional considerations 
for persons with disabilities
• Re-skilling when disability occurs
• Non-discriminatory performance apprais-
als 
• Impact of the ADA on accommodation 
requirements in personnel training
• Accessibility of information technology in 
the workplace
• Data/record keeping on accommodations
• Negotiation/conflict management in the 
reasonable accommodation process
• The place of job coaching and/or support-
ive employment in the reasonable accom-
modation process 
• Customer relations with customers with 
disabilities 
In training, selected topics, such as specific 
accommodations for persons with particular 
disabilities, may be best presented by cou-
pling the information of an instructor familiar 
with the ADA with that of a professional with 
expertise on accommodation for such persons.  
Some examples of these professionals include 
ergonomists, physical or occupational thera-
pists, rehabilitation counselors, supported 
employment specialists, mental health or drug 
and alcohol abuse therapist/counselors, or 
rehabilitation engineers.
Other topics that may not directly relate to the 
requirements of the ADA, but may support the 
intent of the ADA are training in such topics 
as: attitudes toward persons with a disability; 
disability as a facet of diversity; effective dis-
ability management; prevention of disability 
through workplace safety; and effective re-
cruitment of persons with disabilities.
 
The above list is not exhaustive, but repre-
sentative of many content areas that can be 
considered for effective information sharing 
and staff development on the provisions of 
the ADA.  Specific content should be targeted 
toward the job responsibilities of personnel 
receiving the training.  The nature of the work 
itself and the kinds of work-related illnesses 
and disabilities that occur more often for a 
particular employer may determine the focus 
provided on accommodations for particular 
types of disabling conditions.
Where is a Good Place to Start a 
Training Effort on the ADA?
As previously mentioned, personnel at all 
levels of an organization would benefit from 
ADA information and training.  Respondents 
to the SHRM/Cornell survey indicated that 
top management commitment to training and 
nondiscrimination is the number one way to 
effectively reduce barriers in the employment 
and advancement of people with disabilities.  
It is important that any dissemination initia-
tive on disability nondiscrimination and diver-
sity be seen as a company-wide commitment 
for a real impact to occur. 
In larger companies, where human resource 
professionals are chiefly responsible for em-
ployee recruitment, interviewing, pre-employ-
ment screening, benefits, compensation, and 
training, the human resources department 
may be the appropriate place to focus initial 
information dissemination and training ef-
forts.  It would also be useful to include em-
ployee and labor relations personnel in this 
round of training.
4 	 The	ADA	and	Personnel	Training
Manager training should come next in larger 
companies (and perhaps would be first in 
smaller companies).  Some of the topics on the 
ADA employment provisions, which can be 
targeted to the information needs of supervi-
sors, are as follows: pre-employment screening 
and ADA requirements; medical, drug, and 
other testing; writing job descriptions with es-
sential job functions; the reasonable accommo-
dation process; performance expectations and 
the person with a disability; and equal access 
for persons with disabilities to staff develop-
ment and promotional opportunities.
What are Factors to Consider for 
Accessibility of Training to Persons 
with Disabilities?
The employment provisions of the ADA 
provide that no employer shall discriminate 
against an individual with a disability in 
regard to job training.  This means that per-
sonnel trainers, to meet the accommodation 
needs of a trainee with a disability, would be 
required to provide a reasonable accommo-
dation absent undue hardship.  Examples of 
possible modifications include:  
• Restructuring or simplifying training for 
 mats to accommodate trainees with cogni 
 tive impairments
• Making training rooms wheelchair acces 
 sible
• Brailling or audio taping print materials 
• Providing a sign language interpreter or  
 reader
• Captioning videotape materials 
• Being aware of environmental irritants for  
 chemically sensitive trainees
• Advocating on behalf of a trainee for train 
 ing held elsewhere, when an accommoda- 
 tions needed for that individual
Trainers also might consider use of informa-
tion technologies and other distance learning 
approaches, which are increasingly being used 
for personnel training. This can be a real asset 
for enhanced easy and cost-effective access to 
training, allowing the user to access the class-
room from his/her own office or home.  How-
ever, the transformation of the Internet from 
a text-based medium to a robust multi-media 
environment has created a growing digital 
divide in access for people with disabilities.  
Previously, people with visual impairments 
were able to read web pages with the help of 
audible screen readers.  Today, graphical web 
pages are a barrier if they do not incorporate 
accessible web design.  The barrier created by 
inaccessible web pages is not limited to people 
with visual and mobility disabilities, but ap-
plies also to persons with learning or cognitive 
disabilities.  Similarly, persons with hearing 
impairments cannot access audio or video 
streaming contents unless they are captioned.2  
Designing accessible on-line training can be 
beneficial to more than just employees with 
disabilities; many other employees will also 
find it more user-friendly.   Some “do’s and 
don’ts” regarding IT access for people with 
disabilities include: 
• when using a PDF format that is not trans- 
 latable by screen readers3  (for persons  
 with visual impairments), provide a text- 
 only alternative; 
• use alt-tags and labels to denote graphics/ 
 pictures; 
• avoid the use of frames; 
• avoid the use of Flash and javascript.
2 The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative site has a list of 
tools for website evaluation tools at http://www.w3.org/
WAI/ER/tools/ 
3 Go to http://www.afb.org/info_document_view.
asp?documentID=1284 for an example of how a screen 
reader works, 
	 W W W . H R T I P S . O R G 	 5
Are There Other Related Training 
Responsibilities to Consider?
Under the ADA, covered entities cannot use 
a third party to discriminate on their behalf.  
Thus, employers may have to consider the 
possible ADA information needs of organi-
zations with which they have contractual 
relationships, such as insurance companies, 
third-party administrators of worker compen-
sation or health care benefits, labor unions, or 
employee assistance programs.
ADA Title I prohibits discriminating against 
a qualified individual with a disability in all 
terms, conditions, and privileges of employ-
ment, including health benefits.  The ADA 
specifically prohibits a covered entity from 
participating in a discriminatory contractual or 
other arrangement with any organization that 
provides fringe benefits to employees.
Where employees are represented by a union, 
the union steward is the person in the union 
with whom each member may have direct 
contact; that is, to whom s/he brings his/
her problems and grievances, from whom s/
he gets information, and who s/he generally 
sees every day on the job.  Management and 
the union should provide the shop steward 
with training so that s/he can help dissemi-
nate ADA information.  In particular, the shop 
steward should be aware of the union's role 
in informing the workforce about the prohibi-
tions against disability discrimination in em-
ployment and about the remedy of reasonable 
accommodation.
A number of ADA employment provisions are 
relevant to the functioning of Employee As-
sistance Program (EAP) professionals.  Since 
EAPs have developed, they have serviced per-
sons with addiction problems; certainly these 
individuals may be covered by the employ-
ment provisions of the ADA.  Therefore, it is 
important to provide EAP professionals with 
information about who qualifies as an individ-
ual with a disability under the ADA and what 
rights such individuals have under the law.  
EAP professionals might also be able to assist 
with accommodation inquiries.  SHRM mem-
bers indicated in the survey that they would 
like more information on accommodations for 
persons with mental health problems, an area 
in which EAP personnel can be of assistance.  
In addition, persons with other kinds of dis-
abilities may seek support from EAP profes-
sionals when facing difficulties in the work-
place or elsewhere that arise from a disabling 
condition or serious illness.  EAP professionals 
may be the counseling and support system 
that an organization uses, and therefore pro-
viding EAP professionals with information 
about the impact of disability, and the rights of 
persons with disabilities is most appropriate. 
EAPs are often also aware of local community 
resources and can refer employers and super-
visors to relevant resources who can help in 
addressing an accommodation request. 
Where can I get further resources to 
conduct training on the Americans with 
Disabilities Act? 
Many private commercial distributors and 
not-for-profit organizations have now devel-
oped informational and training materials on 
the ADA.  A comprehensive listing of print 
and audio visual materials on the employment 
provisions of the ADA are available from your 
local Disability and Business Technical As-
sistance Center; call 1-800-949-4232 to request 
such a list.  A set of informational brochures 
on accommodations for particular disabilities 
is available from the Cornell University web-
site at http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/edi, or call 
(607) 255-7727, or also from your disability and 
business technical assistance center as listed 
above.
6 	 The	ADA	and	Personnel	Training
Resources
ADA National Network
Technical Assistance Center Hotline 
800.949.4232 (voice/TTY)
http://www.adata.org
Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
800.526.7234 (voice)
877.781.9403 (TTY) or visit http://askjan.org
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 
1131 M Street, NE, Washington, DC 20507
800.669.4000 (Voice) or 800.669.6820 (TTY) to 
reach EEOC field offices; for publications call 
800.669.3302 (TTY) or 800.669.3362 (voice) 
www.eeoc.gov
	 W W W . H R T I P S . O R G 	 7
About this Brochure
This brochure is one of a series on human 
resources practices and workplace accommo-
dations for persons with disabilities edited by 
Susanne M. Bruyère, Ph.D., CRC,  Director, 
Employment and Disability Institute, Cornell 
University ILR School. 
This brochure was written by Susanne Bruyère 
in 1996, and updated in 2001.  It was further 
updated in 2011 by Beth Reiter, an indepen-
dent legal consultant, Ithaca, N.Y.,  with as-
sistance from Sara Furguson, a Cornell Uni-
versity Employment and Disability Institute 
student research assistant.
These updates, and the development of new 
brochures, were funded by Cornell, the Na-
tional ADA Center Network, and other sup-
porters.
The full text of this brochure, and others in 
this series, can be found at www.hrtips.org. 
More information on accessibility and accom-
modation is available from the ADA National 
Network at 800.949.4232 (voice/ TTY), 
www.adata.org.
Disclaimer
This material was produced by the Employment 
and Disability Institute in the Cornell University ILR 
School.   Development of the original brochure series 
was funded by a grant from the National Institute on 
Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) (grant 
#H133D10155).   Content updates were funded by 
NIDRR grant number H133 A110020.  However, those 
contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the 
Department of Education, and you should not assume 
endorsement by the Federal Government.  
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 
has reviewed it for accuracy.  However, opinions about 
the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) expressed 
in this material are those of the author, and do not 
necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the Commission or 
the publisher.  EEOC interpretations of the ADA are 
reflected in its ADA regulations (29 CFR Part 1630), 
Technical Assistance Manual for Title I of the Act, and 
Enforcement Guidance.  
Cornell University is authorized by NIDRR to provide 
information, materials, and technical assistance to indi-
viduals and entities that are covered by the Americans 
with Disabilities Act (ADA).  You should be aware that 
NIDRR is not responsible for enforcement of the ADA.  
The information, materials, and/or technical assistance 
are intended solely as informal guidance, and are 
neither a determination of your legal rights or responsi-
bilities under the Act, nor binding on any agency with 
enforcement responsibility under the ADA.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has 
issued enforcement guidance which provides ad-
ditional clarification of various elements of the Title 
I provisions under the ADA.  Copies of the guidance 
documents are available for viewing and downloading 
from the EEOC web site at: 
http://www.eeoc.gov
	 The	ADA	and	Personnel	Training
Contact Information
Susanne M. Bruyère, Ph.D., CRC
Director, Employment and Disability Institute
Cornell University
ILR School
201 Dolgen Hall
Ithaca, New York 14853-3201
Voice: 607.255.7727
Fax: 607.255.2763
TTY: 607.255.2891
Email: smb23@cornell.edu
Web: www.edi.cornell.edu
To view all the brochures in this series, please visit:
www.hrtips.org


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