The document discusses the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title III and its implications for child care centers. Title III prevents discrimination based on disability in public accommodations. It applies to all non-religious child care centers. The ADA requires centers to provide reasonable modifications to accommodate children with disabilities, including physical modifications, adjustments to schedules and activities, medication administration, and staff support. Centers must welcome and integrate children and families with disabilities, unless doing so poses a health or safety risk or fundamentally alters the program. The document encourages discussion of reasonable accommodations and responsibilities of centers to welcome all children and families.

1. Americans with Disabilities Act,
Title III: What does it mean for your program?
Audrey Rowland, MS MBA
www.greenspacetx.com

2. Objectives
• Review the language of the ADA – Title III
• Discuss possible implications for enrollment
in your program
• Create strategies for accommodating
families with special needs
Green Space Learning & Development
www.greenspacetx.com

3. History
• Signed into law in 1990 by George H W Bush
• Civil Rights law that prevents discrimination based on disability
• Title III – Public Accommodations and Commercial Facilities
• Applies to all child care centers not OPERATED by a religious institution
Green Space Learning & Development
www.greenspacetx.com

4. Defining Disability
• How has the understanding of ‘disability’ changed since 1990?
• What does it mean to you?
• What disabilities are covered by the ADA?
Green Space Learning & Development
www.greenspacetx.com

5. Needs we can meet…
Sensory Impairment
Motor Delays/Disabilities
Allergies
Language delays
Social/Emotional Delays
Diabetes
Seizure Disorders
Feeding/swallowing disorders
Sensory Disorders
Cognitive Delays
Green Space Learning & Development
www.greenspacetx.com

6. Requirements
• Centers cannot exclude children with disabilities from their programs unless their presence would
pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others or require a fundamental alteration of the
program.
• Centers have to make reasonable modifications to their policies and practices to integrate
children, parents, and guardians with disabilities into their programs unless doing so would
constitute a fundamental alteration.
• Centers must provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services needed for effective
communication with children or adults with disabilities, when doing so would not constitute
an undue burden.
• Centers must generally make their facilities accessible to persons with disabilities. Existing
facilities are subject to the readily achievable standard for barrier removal, while newly
constructed facilities and any altered portions of existing facilities must be fully accessible
Green Space Learning & Development
www.greenspacetx.com

7. Reasonable Accommodation
• Readily Achievable
• Physical/Architectural accommodations
• Level of care
• Changes to schedules/menu/curriculum activities
• Behavioral expectations
• Administration of medications
• Changes to environmental factors (cleaning agents, lighting, etc.)
• Staffing adjustments and support
• Allowing outside resources/support
Green Space Learning & Development
www.greenspacetx.com

8. Discussion
What accommodations would be ‘unreasonable’ or not readily
achievable?
Green Space Learning & Development
www.greenspacetx.com

9. Our Responsibilities
• To welcome children and families
• To train our staff
• To provide high-quality care to all children
enrolled in our programs
• To adjust to our children, not to require
them to adjust to us
Green Space Learning & Development
www.greenspacetx.com