How to Create an ADA Committee
When the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted in 1990, people with disabilities legally received the protections and guarantees that folks without impairments take for granted. Sweeping and groundbreaking, the ADA mandated equality in diverse areas like employment, public services, transportation and communication. If you're creating an ADA committee, you'll join millions of people who view full access for handicapped citizens a right, not a privilege.
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Instructions
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Articulate the purpose of your committee. You may wish to focus on employment practices, public access issues or base the formation of the committee on a general resolution to improve the lot of disabled people at your workplace, or within your organization or institution. Whatever your goal, your purpose must be clearly stated and succinctly worded. From this purpose you'll draft a mission statement and a set of goals and objectives so that your ADA committee starts with a road map.
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Appoint committee members. Only you know the essential players needed to accomplish ADA committee goals and objectives. A mix of managers with authority to implement and fund committee actions is essential, but including nonmanagerial members means that you'll have representation from the rank and file. Include folks with disabilities, so their voice is heard when considering issues like modifying a building entrance, resetting personnel policies or empowering challenged employees.
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Choose a leader. Allow committee members to choose their leader for a variety of reasons. A quiet colleague may have the qualities needed for leadership but because he doesn't promote himself, his strength and wisdom isn't evident. Encourage the committee to choose someone who is sensitive to ADA issues, dependable and reliable. Great diplomacy and mediation skills are important, too.
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Set an agenda. Perhaps your ADA committee is charged with responsibility for fine-tuning services and programs so they're more accessible to people with physical limitations. Your agenda may consist of listing the programs and services in question, presenting recommendations for changes, compiling a budget to underwrite the changes or researching the vendors or suppliers necessary to accomplish these recommended changes. A copy of Robert's Rules of Order can guide the committee's interaction in addition to having an agenda.
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Appoint project leaders. For example, if one of the group's goals is to revamp the entrances to your facility with electronic door-opening equipment, ramps and rails plus repaving areas adjacent to entrances, one person monitoring the project benefits the committee by reporting back to the group on progress, problems and delays. Assign another committee member to monitor legislation related to ADA laws. The objective is to make sure your group is always on top of specific projects and issues as they relate to the committee's mission.
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Keep your ADA committee relevant. If your group was formed to address one aspect of remediation (e.g., handicap access building modifications), you may wish to move on to other issues triggered by the awareness your committee has generated to the plight of handicapped people once that project has been put to bed. Oversight and evaluation practices will keep a collective eye on your long-term goals. By self-monitoring, your committee will remain effective, relevant and powerful.
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Tips & Warnings
One of the most important things your committee can produce is a handbook that spells out the changes and innovations the group implements.
References
- City of Pacific Grove, California: ADA Compliance Advisory Committee
- Independent Living Research Utilization: The ADA and Collective Bargaining Issues
- My Committee: Starting a Committee
- Cape May School: Student Disabilities Pursuant to Section 504 /ADA Handbook
- West Chester University: Ram's Eye View; ADA Committee
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
