Accessibility: Laws and Compliance Standards

NEA Assurance of Compliance
The Assurance of Compliance is signed by NEA grant applicants to certify that they are in compliance with its statues and regulations.

NEA Office of Civil Rights
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Civil Rights Office is responsible for the development, implementation and coordination of all aspects of two civil rights programs.

Webinar: Ensuring the Accessibility of Your NEA-funded Projects: Compliance Requirements for NEA Grantees
Accessibility means all who want to participate are able to, including people with disabilities. What does this mean for your federal grant application to the National Endowment for the Arts? On May 11, 2022, staff from NEA’s Office of Accessibility conducted a webinar on the requirements and expectations for applicants to demonstrate physical and programmatic accessibility of proposed activities, and how to engage people with disabilities in your program activities.

Disability.gov
The site connects people with disabilities, their families and caregivers to helpful resources on topics such as how to apply for disability benefits, find a job, get health care or pay for accessible housing. You can also find organizations in your community to help you get the support you need.

Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in employment, State and local government services, public accommodations, commercial facilities, and transportation.

ADA Technical Assistance Centers
The ADA National Network consists of 10 regional centers and an ADA Knowledge Translation Center. They provide local assistance and foster implementation of the ADA, including information, guidance and training. The Network is not an enforcement or regulatory agency, but a helpful resource supporting the ADA's mission to "make it possible for everyone with a disability to live a life of freedom and equality."

ADA Standards for Accessible Design
The Department of Justice’s revised regulations for Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) were published in the Federal Register on September 15, 2010. These regulations adopted revised, enforceable accessibility standards called the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, "2010 Standards."

U.S. Access Board
The Access Board is an independent federal agency that promotes equality for people with disabilities through leadership in accessible design and the development of accessibility guidelines and standards.  Created in 1973 to ensure access to federally funded facilities, the Board is now a leading source of information on accessible design, including its own set of guidelines for the ADA Design Standards and a useful set of animated illustrations on a select number of ADA design standards.

NEA Section 504 Regulations
NEA grantees must follow the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which is designed to eliminate discrimination on the basis of handicap in any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

Section 508 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act
In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to require Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. Section 508 was enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology, open new opportunities for people with disabilities, and encourage development of technologies that will help achieve these goals. The law applies to all Federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology.