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Friday, Apr 25, 2025
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Department of Justice Removes Key Disability Guidelines for Businesses
Elimination of ADA compliance guidelines raises concerns over accessibility rights
The U.S. Department of Justice has rescinded 11 guidelines pertaining to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a pivotal civil rights law established in 1990 aimed at preventing discrimination against individuals with disabilities.
Among the removed guidelines are those focusing on COVID-19 protocols, masking requirements, and various aspects of accessibility in businesses.
Updates to the ADA.gov website confirm the removal of multiple pages previously available in the ADA archive, including information relating to the accessibility requirements for retail businesses and customer service practices for individuals with disabilities in hotels and lodging.
Notably, a webpage titled 'COVID-19 and the Americans with Disabilities Act' has seen significant changes, including the removal of five out of seven questions originally posted as recently as early March.
The eliminated guidance addressed issues such as exemptions from mask mandates and explained employees' rights regarding disabilities in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a press release, the Justice Department characterized the guidelines as 'unnecessary and outdated,' suggesting that clarifying compliance requirements may alleviate burdens on businesses, ultimately enabling them to reduce prices for consumers.
As part of this policy shift, the Justice Department has indicated an intention to promote tax incentives designed to assist businesses in financing accessibility improvements for both customers and employees.
The decision to remove the guidelines is linked to a January 20 executive order from the previous administration, which cited government regulations as contributing factors to inflation.
The order claimed that regulatory burdens imposed by the Biden administration had led to increased costs for American households.
The executive order did not specify which regulations would be removed but directed federal agencies to scrutinize business regulations.
Acting U.S. Assistant Attorney General Mac Warner stated that alleviating financial burdens on business owners would facilitate cost savings that could be passed on to consumers, thereby supporting economic growth.
Efforts to modify the ADA to ease business compliance are not new; in 2017, Congressional Republicans proposed legislation that would have made it more challenging for individuals with disabilities to initiate lawsuits against businesses and employers, indicating a recurring theme in the approach toward ADA regulations.
Among the removed guidelines are those focusing on COVID-19 protocols, masking requirements, and various aspects of accessibility in businesses.
Updates to the ADA.gov website confirm the removal of multiple pages previously available in the ADA archive, including information relating to the accessibility requirements for retail businesses and customer service practices for individuals with disabilities in hotels and lodging.
Notably, a webpage titled 'COVID-19 and the Americans with Disabilities Act' has seen significant changes, including the removal of five out of seven questions originally posted as recently as early March.
The eliminated guidance addressed issues such as exemptions from mask mandates and explained employees' rights regarding disabilities in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a press release, the Justice Department characterized the guidelines as 'unnecessary and outdated,' suggesting that clarifying compliance requirements may alleviate burdens on businesses, ultimately enabling them to reduce prices for consumers.
As part of this policy shift, the Justice Department has indicated an intention to promote tax incentives designed to assist businesses in financing accessibility improvements for both customers and employees.
The decision to remove the guidelines is linked to a January 20 executive order from the previous administration, which cited government regulations as contributing factors to inflation.
The order claimed that regulatory burdens imposed by the Biden administration had led to increased costs for American households.
The executive order did not specify which regulations would be removed but directed federal agencies to scrutinize business regulations.
Acting U.S. Assistant Attorney General Mac Warner stated that alleviating financial burdens on business owners would facilitate cost savings that could be passed on to consumers, thereby supporting economic growth.
Efforts to modify the ADA to ease business compliance are not new; in 2017, Congressional Republicans proposed legislation that would have made it more challenging for individuals with disabilities to initiate lawsuits against businesses and employers, indicating a recurring theme in the approach toward ADA regulations.
