DeWitt Public Schools
Administrative Guidelines
 

4122C - COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF EMPLOYMENT RELATEDPROVISIONS OF ADA AND SECTION 504

Issue

Section 504

ADA________________
 

Coverage

Covers only recipients of 
Federal funds

Covers all employers
with 15 or more employees;
adds 2-year exemption for
employers with less than 
25 employees
 

Definition of 
"Qualified 
Individual with 
Disability"

A disabled person who, 
with "reasonable" 
accommodation, can perform
the essential functions of 
the job

An individual with a
disability who, with or
without reasonable
accommodation, can perform
the essential functions of
the employment position
 

Reasonable
Accommodation

Reasonable Accommodation
may include:

Reasonable Accommodation
may include:
 

making facilities used
by employees readily
accessible and usable by
disabled persons

making facilities
readily accessible
 

job restructuring,
part-time or modified
work schedules

job restructuring,
part-time or modified
work schedules
 

No comparable provision

reassignment to a vacant
position
 

acquisition or
modification of equipment
or devices

acquisition or
modification of equipment
or devices
 

No comparable provision

appropriate adjustment or
modifications of 
examinations, training
materials or policies
 

provision of readers or
interpreters

provision of readers or
interpreters

Issue

Section 504

ADA_________________
 

Undue Hardship

Factors considered:

Factors considered:
 

1) size of the organization
   and its budget
2) type of operation
3) nature and cost of 
accommodation

1) size of the organization
   and its budget
2) type of operation
3) nature and cost of
accommodation
 

Drug and Alcohol
Use

Current drug use is not
considered a handicap

Current drug use is not
considered a disability
 

Current alcohol abuse
that prevents individual
from performing duties
of the job or that
constitutes direct
threat to property or
safety of others is not
considered a handicap

Current alcohol abuse
that prevents individual
from performing duties
of the job or that constitutes
direct threat to property or
safety of others is not
considered a disability
 

Communicable
Diseases

Term "individual with
disabilities" excludes any
individual with a 
communicable disease which
would constitute a direct
threat to the health or
safety of others or which
renders the individual
unable to perform the job

Permits qualification
standard requiring that
an individual with a 
currently-communicable
disease or infection not
pose a direct threat to
the health or safety of
others
 

Relationships
or Associations

No comparable provision

Prohibits discrimination
based on relationship to or
association with another
disability