Private Employers

Private employers with 15 or more employees are covered under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Title I requires covered employers to provide equal employment opportunities to qualified individuals with disabilities.

Below are publications and resources to help private employers understand their rights and responsibilities and maximize the potential of their workforce.

Popular Publications and Resources

• Employers’ Practical Guide to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• The ADA: Your Responsibilities as an Employer
• The ADA: A Primer for Small Businesses

It’s All about Accommodation

(information on reasonable accommodation and how to do it)

• Employers’ Top 10 Factors Contributing to Successful Reasonable Accommodation Outcomes
• Small Employers and Reasonable Accommodation
• Cornell University Accommodations for Specific Disabilities
• Job Accommodations Network (JAN) Searchable Online Accommodation Resource
• Job Accommodations Network (JAN)

Get on Board!

(why and how to recruit, hire, and retain workers with disabilities)

• The Business Case: Learning about the Value of Employees with Disabilities 
• Employer Assistance and Resource Network (EARN)
• Business Leadership Network
• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM): Disability Employment Resource Page
• America’s Heroes at Work  (focuses on returning veterans with specific disabilities; check out their “Helpful Links"  section to find additional resources and organizations related to hiring veterans)
• Tax Incentives

More Good Stuff

(organizations, general resources, materials collections, etc.)

• Cornell University: Disability and HR
• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
• U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)
• Disability.gov: Employer Resources
• ADA Employment Document Portal
• Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Workplace Supports and Job Retention

Visit our “FAQs for Employers” page for answers to a few common questions, and check out our "Publications" page to find ADA documents and our "Resources" page to find links to information on a variety of employment-related topics.