Trends in Higher Education Litigation and the Americans With Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2009

• In Event: Poster Session 1
  In Poster Session: Exploring Issues and Research in Higher Education Finance and Policy

Abstract

The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2009 was enacted in order to reinstate the original Congressional intent of broadness and inclusion for persons with disabilities. Critics of the Act in higher education forewarned of a new flood of student-based disability claims and litigation against post-secondary colleges and universities. This study analyzed all published litigation involving the ADAAA and institutions of higher education from 2009-2015. Results indicate that post-secondary educational institutions are meeting their legal obligations approximately seventy percent of the time under the Act, but that additional training for student affairs practitioners and campus administrators is warranted. 

Authors

• Benjamin Lustig, University of Iowa

• Matthew Stier, The University of Iowa