Overview

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This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), with a focus on Title I employment protections. Enacted in 1990 and strengthened by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, the ADA is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in employment, public services, and other areas of daily life. This course is designed for all U.S. employees—not just managers or HR professionals—because ADA compliance is a shared responsibility that depends on every person in the workplace understanding their role. The course emphasizes practical, day-to-day application of ADA principles. Learners will build the ability to identify who is protected under the law, recognize discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, navigate the reasonable accommodation and interactive process, maintain confidentiality, and contribute to physically and digitally accessible work environments. Special attention is given to the employee's role in routing accommodation requests, responding appropriately to disclosures, and acting as a responsible bystander. Learners will engage with the material entirely through interactive experiences—including scenario-based process walkthroughs, categorization activities, flashcard explorations, and self-assessment checklists. By the end of the course, learners will be equipped to apply ADA principles confidently across in-person, remote, physical, and digital workplace settings, and to take specific actions that support an inclusive, compliant work environment.

Syllabus

ADA Basics for Every Employee

This foundational module introduces learners to the Americans with Disabilities Act and establishes why ADA awareness is every employee's responsibility — not just a concern for managers or HR. Learners begin by exploring the ADA's purpose and real-world workplace relevance through a character-driven narrative, then build a conceptual foundation by examining the legal definition of disability, who qualifies for protection, and the distinction between essential and marginal job functions. The module concludes by connecting legal knowledge to daily behavior — covering employee rights, corresponding responsibilities, and respectful communication practices. This module supports the course's overarching goal of moving learners from awareness to action by ensuring they have the definitional and behavioral foundation needed before engaging with accommodation processes and applied scenarios in Module 2.

Accommodations and Appropriate Workplace Behavior

Building on the foundational knowledge established in Module 1, this module moves learners from understanding ADA concepts to applying them in real workplace situations. Learners begin with the reasonable accommodation and interactive process — the procedural core of ADA compliance — following a realistic character through each step to understand their role in requesting, routing, and maintaining confidentiality. The module then shifts to applied practice, placing learners in everyday workplace scenarios involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and bystander responsibility. Finally, learners explore physical and digital accessibility barriers and the small, concrete actions every employee can take to create a more inclusive environment. This module directly supports the course's Apply-level objectives by requiring learners to transfer knowledge into context-dependent decision-making.

Final Assessment and Wrap-Up

This final module brings the course full circle by asking learners to demonstrate mastery of all ADA awareness concepts through a summative graded assessment. The 10-question final quiz covers the full scope of the course — from the ADA's purpose and the definition of disability through the interactive process, confidentiality, discrimination, and retaliation, and physical and digital accessibility. Following the assessment, the wrap-up provides a structured recap of all five course-level objectives and equips learners with an actionable commitment checklist and links to internal and external resources for continued learning and compliance support.