The ADA protects individuals with disabilities of all ages, but it has particular importance for older adults. Of the 33 million U.S. adults with disabilities, nearly half are 65 or older, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
While the ADA offers a wide range of protections, there are four ways it impacts the lives of older adults: in the workplace, in public services, in businesses, and in long-term care.
The ADA has been taken up by the courts many times, AARP’s Bagby said, but a landmark interpretation by the Supreme Court in 1999 fundamentally established disability rights in long-term care settings. That case is called Olmstead v. L.C.
The Olmstead decision says it is discriminatory for someone to be placed unnecessarily into an institution, like a hospital or long-term facility, when they can otherwise benefit from receiving community-based care and want to do so.
“Because of the ADA, they will be able to age in place and stay in their own homes with their communities and families, rather than going to a nursing facility,” said Regan Bailey, litigation director at Justice in Aging.
