Reaching Out to Customers with Disabilities -- an online ADA course for businesses, Introduction Page

Parents, grandparents, and children arrive at a hotel for vacation.

As a business owner or operator, or someone thinking about opening a business, you may have wondered what you have to do to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This course explains how the ADA applies to businesses in ten short lessons. Putting these lessons into practice will allow you to comply with the ADA and welcome a whole new group of customers to purchase your goods, products, and services. And you may find that making your business more accessible and welcoming to people with disabilities is not as difficult as you thought.

Did you know?

More than 50 million Americans with disabilities - 18% of our population - are potential customers for businesses of all types across the United States.

This group has $175 billion in discretionary spending power, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. That figure is more than twice the spending power of American teenagers and almost 18 times the spending power of the American "tweens" market.

Accessibility attracts not only people with disabilities but also their families and friends. Like others, these customers often visit stores, restaurants, movie theaters, and other businesses accompanied by family or friends. This expands the potential market exponentially!

This market is growing fast. By the year 2030, 71.5 million Baby Boomers will be over the age of 65 and demanding products, services, and environments that address their age-related physical changes.

This huge customer market can represent additional business and profit for your enterprise. The course will help you learn how to attract and successfully provide your services to this market.

To make this course easier to fit into your busy schedule, we divided it into individual lesson modules. Go though the lessons at your own pace, and as your time allows. As you progress through the course, you will find links to additional information, but you can also access a wealth of information by visiting the ADA Website at www.ada.gov. Or you can call the ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (voice) or 833-610-1264 (TTY) to speak to an ADA specialist if you have questions about a specific situation.

A key point to remember as you start the course: everyone benefits when businesses give customers with disabilities an equal opportunity to obtain their goods and services. By positively addressing the issues discussed in this course, businesses can make it easier for people with disabilities as well as other customers to access and purchase the services or products they have to offer. Accessibility pays dividends and makes good business sense.

The Americans with Disabilities Act authorizes the Department of Justice (the Department) to provide technical assistance to individuals and entities that have rights or responsibilities under the Act. This document provides informal guidance to assist you in understanding the ADA and the Department's regulations.

This guidance document is not intended to be a final agency action, has no legally binding effect, and may be rescinded or modified in the Department's complete discretion, in accordance with applicable laws. The Department's guidance documents, including this guidance, do not establish legally enforceable responsibilities beyond what is required by the terms of the applicable statutes, regulations, or binding judicial precedent.