The Laws

What Are Our Legal Obligations?

A variety of State and Federal laws are in place to ensure that students with disabilities receive a fair and equitable education from the California Community Colleges. Some of these laws apply to all organizations, such as the American Disabilities Act, while some apply specifically to public entities receiving funding from the state of California, like SB 105.

Browse through the quick summaries below, paying specific attention to California SB 105, a new law that provides us with very specific Web and electronic accessibility guidelines here at Sacramento City College.

1. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) -- July 26, 1990
2. Section 504, of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
3. Section 508, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (1998, 2000 Amendments)
4. California Senate Bill 105--September, 2002

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) , 1990

The ADA is wide-ranging legislation intended to increase accessibility to people with disabilities and is divided into five titles:

1. Employment
2. Public services
3. Public Accommodations
4. Telecommunications
5. Miscellaneous

The section most directly associated with schools is Title II (Public Services).

Title II covers all activities of State and local governments regardless of the government entity's size or receipt of Federal funding. Title II requires that State and local governments give people with disabilities an equal opportunity to benefit from all of their programs, services, and activities (e.g. public education, employment, transportation, recreation, health care, social services, courts, voting, and town meetings).

Section 504, of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Section 504 states that “…no qualified handicapped person shall, on the basis of handicap, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any academic, research, occupational training, housing, health insurance, counseling, financial aid, physical education, athletics, recreation, transportation, other extracurricular, or other post-secondary education program or activity.”

Section 508, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (1998, 2000 Amendments)

Section 508 provided guidelines to insure that electronic and information technology provided by the Federal government would be accessible to people with disabilities. Amendments were added to include nearly all information technology and communication, and civil penalties.

Section 508 provides sixteen guidelines for achieving Web accessibility. These guidelines are a commonly used standard for Web accessibility in the United States.

California SB 105 (September, 2002)

SB 105 states that "In order to improve accessibility of existing technology, and therefore increase the successful employment of individuals with disabilities, particularly blind and visually impaired and deaf and hard-of-hearing persons, state governmental entities, in developing, procuring, maintaining, or using electronic or information technology, either indirectly or through the use of state funds by other entities, shall comply with the accessibility requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973..."

SB 105 makes us legally responsible for making all Web sites at SCC Section 508 Compliant. The next section will detail Section 508's sixteen Web Accessibility Guidelines.

>> Continue to the next section: 508 Checklist