FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CRT

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2007 (202) 514-2007

WWW.USDOJ.GOV TDD (202) 514-1888

Justice Department Releases New

Americans with Disabilities Act
Technical Assistance Materials
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice today released new technical
assistance materials to help state and local governments comply with the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA). The materials are part of the “ADA Best Practices
Tool Kit for State and Local Governments,” a project announced by Attorney
General Alberto R. Gonzales in October 2006.

“In our work with state and local governments throughout the country, we see many
common problems with ADA compliance,” said Wan J. Kim, Assistant Attorney
General for the Civil Rights Division. “The Department is issuing the Tool Kit to
help state and local government officials gain a better understanding of how to
ensure equal access to government programs and services for all of their citizens
with a disability.”

The Tool Kit is a commonsense guide to achieving ADA compliance. Chapters 3

and 4 of the Tool Kit, released today, address the ADA requirement of ensuring
effective communications for people with disabilities. “People who are deaf or hard
of hearing, those who are blind or have low vision, and individuals with other types
of disabilities are entitled to equal access to state and local government programs,
services and activities,” added Assistant Attorney General Kim. “These new
chapters of the Tool Kit contain practical guidance, including checklists and action
steps, that state, county and city officials can use to identify and resolve ADA
compliance issues in government agencies and programs across the country,
including public hospitals, courts, law enforcement agencies, 9-1-1 emergency
communication systems, and recreation programs.”

During the past six years, through its Project Civic Access initiative, the Civil
Rights Division has worked cooperatively with city and county officials to improve
access for more than 2 million people with disabilities. The Department has reached
152 agreements that improve access for people with disabilities to city and county
office buildings, courts, polling places, emergency shelters, museums, parks, law
enforcement and corrections facilities, and websites. The Tool Kit and other ADA
materials are available on the Department’s ADA Web site at http://www.ada.gov.
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