The Effects of the Americans with Disabilities Act: A Longitudinal Model Analysis

AbstractThe Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 intends to provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities. By 1994 the ADA extended to all employers with 15 or more employees that were recommended to make reasonable accommodations for qualified workers with disabilities. This article provides statistically rigorous estimation of employment effects of the ADA on working-age (25–59) men with disabilities using the panel data of Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). Previous studies failed to detect the beneficial effect of the ADA by failing to focus on the relevant subpopulation that the ADA intends to target—those who can participate in workforce. Our findings suggest that the implementation of the extended ADA regulations in 1994 had positive impact on the well-being of the disabled who are labor participants. This held true regardless of measures of disability used.