Maryland Civil Rights News

Civil Rights Division Commemorates 100th Agreement Milestone For Project Civic Access

On August 5, citizens from across the nation gathered at the Justice Department to celebrate the signing of the 100th agreement reached through “Project Civic Access.” Through Civic Access, municipalities work cooperatively with the federal government to bring local physical spaces, emergency services, employment practices, polling places, and other aspects of public life into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The event commemorated the 14th anniversary of the ADA with twenty-four new Project Civic Access agreements. Attendees included Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights R. Alexander Acosta, Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Brian D. Boyle, city and county government representatives,community advocates, and residents with disabilities from seven communities. All of the seven communities entered into agreements under Project Civic Access.In his remarks, Assistant Attorney General Acosta announced the signing of twenty-four new Project Civic Access agreements, bringing the total to one hundred settlements.

At the Project Civic Access event, city and county government representatives, community advocates, and individuals with disabilities from seven communities around the country shared their experiences with Project Civic Access and the positive impact it has had in their communities. The ADA is the first civil rights law to require the government to help people and organizations understand their rights and responsibilities under the law. This is no small task: the ADA covers more than six million businesses, 80,000 units of State and local government, and 50 million people with disabilities.

To meet this challenge, the Department maintains a toll-free ADA information line and an ADA website. Through the information line, callers can order a wide range of free technical assistance materials addressing a wide range of ADA topics. Callers can also speak to an ADA specialist who can offer expert advice on how the ADA applies in their specific situation. The website is an on-line resource where users can read or download a large variety of ADA technical assistance publications, settlement agreements,press releases, and other information published by the Department. Over one million people use these services annually.

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	Did You Know?
	A target number of qualified women, minorities or persons with disabilities hired and advanced within a given period of time through an Affirmative Employment Program.