Challenges and Dilemmas in Implementing Disability Rights Policies

The passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990 created a powerful civil rights mandate which built and expanded upon the mandates created in earlier disability rights policies. While it is too soon to evaluate the impact of the ADA—compliance deadlines only recently having passed—it is not too early to consider strategies for effective implementation and to identify potential areas of difficulty in program execution. This paper reviews evidence on the implementation of earlier disability rights policies and speculates on potential obstacles and challenges that administrators will face in effectively implementing the ADA.