Five sources of duty, read as an organization

Employment. Do not discriminate against qualified people with disabilities in any part of the employment relationship. Provide reasonable accommodation unless it would create an undue hardship, decided through an interactive process. Keep medical information confidential and separate from personnel files. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces this title and publishes detailed guidance.

State and local government. Give people with disabilities an equal opportunity to benefit from every program, service and activity. Communicate as effectively with disabled people as with everyone else, giving primary consideration to the person’s preferred aid or service. Make reasonable modifications to policies unless they would fundamentally alter the program. Agencies of a certain size must designate an ADA coordinator and have a grievance procedure.

Federally funded programs. Very similar substance to Title II, attached to federal money rather than to government status. It is why nonprofits, hospitals, clinics and other grantees carry the same duties. Complaints about health and human services programs go to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.

Technology. Information and communication technology that a federal agency buys, builds or uses must be accessible. Minnesota state agencies follow a state accessibility standard for information technology built on the same web accessibility guidelines. The practical result: forms, documents, learning platforms and public websites are expected to work with keyboards and screen readers, carry captions, and meet contrast requirements.

State law. Prohibits disability discrimination in employment, public services, public accommodations, housing and education. The Minnesota Department of Human Rights investigates charges. Because state law can define terms and processes differently than federal law, a question about which law governs a specific situation belongs with your civil rights office or agency counsel, not with a training.

Integration. The state’s plan for people with disabilities to live, learn, work and enjoy life in the most integrated setting of their choosing, with measurable goals and public reporting. For DHS, it touches housing, employment supports, transition from institutions and segregated settings, person-centered planning and how services are counted.