Reference
ADA Title II Glossary
The ADA and its regulations use precise terms with specific legal meanings. Here are 51 of them, defined in plain language. For the official definitions, see § 35.104 Definitions and § 35.108 Definition of disability.
A
Accessibility (web/digital)
WCAG 2.1 Level AA Standard: The ability of people with disabilities to perceive, operate, and understand website and digital content. Your website meets accessibility standards when people using screen readers, voice commands, keyboard navigation, or other assistive technology can access the same information and functionality as everyone else.
ADA
Americans with Disabilities Act: Federal civil rights law enacted in 1990 (42 U.S.C. §12101 et seq.) prohibiting discrimination against individuals with disabilities. The ADA is the primary federal law requiring public entities, businesses, and organizations to ensure people with disabilities have equal access to services, programs, and facilities.
ADA Coordinator
Required by 28 CFR §35.107: A designated employee responsible for coordinating compliance efforts and grievance procedures for entities with 50 or more employees. If your organization has 50+ employees, you must designate one person as the ADA Coordinator to handle disability-related complaints and compliance work.
Alternate format
Definition: Large print, Braille, audio, electronic text, or other formats of written information accessible to people with visual or reading disabilities. If someone cannot read standard print, you must provide their documents in a format they can use—such as large print, audio files, or digital text that works with screen readers.
Architectural Barriers Act (ABA)
Enacted: 1968 federal law requiring physical accessibility of facilities built, altered, or leased with federal funds. The ABA predates the ADA and covers physical access requirements like ramps, elevators, and accessible parking for buildings using federal money.
Assistive technology
Definition: Hardware or software used by people with disabilities to access content and participate, including screen readers, speech-to-text software, switch devices, magnification tools, and alternative keyboards. Assistive technology is any tool that helps someone with a disability use your services—from screen readers that read text aloud to switch devices that let people navigate without a keyboard.
Auxiliary aids and services
28 CFR §35.104 definition: "Includes qualified interpreters or other effective methods of making aurally delivered materials available to individuals with hearing impairments; qualified readers, taped texts, or other effective methods of making visually delivered materials available to individuals with visual impairments; acquisition or modification of equipment or devices; and other similar services and actions." These are the accommodations you must provide to ensure people with disabilities can access your programs—interpreters for deaf participants, readers for blind employees, captions for videos, and other supports.
C
Complaint
Definition: A formal allegation filed with the Department of Justice or a designated federal agency asserting a public entity has violated Title II of the ADA. When someone files a disability discrimination complaint against your organization, it triggers an investigation by federal authorities to determine if you violated accessibility requirements.
Compliance date
2024 Web Accessibility Rule: The deadline by which a public entity must achieve full web accessibility compliance: April 26, 2027 for large entities (50+ employees); April 26, 2028 for small entities and special districts. These are the federal deadlines when your website must fully comply with WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. Your deadline depends on your organization's size.
Current program access
Definition: The requirement under 28 CFR §35.150 that each program, service, or activity of a public entity, when viewed in its entirety, must be accessible to people with disabilities. You cannot lock people with disabilities out of one program while another is accessible. Your services as a whole must work for people with disabilities.
Current standards
28 CFR §35.200: Web and digital content must conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the federal standard for Title II compliance. WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the official accessibility benchmark your website must meet. It covers keyboard access, screen reader compatibility, color contrast, captions, and dozens of other requirements.
D
Designated agency
Definition: A federal agency assigned complaint investigation authority for specific categories of public entities under 28 CFR §35.190. When someone files a Title II complaint, it goes to a specific federal agency based on what type of entity you are—DOJ for most, but Education for schools, Transportation for transit, etc.
Direct threat
Definition: A significant risk to the health or safety of others that cannot be eliminated by reasonable modification; an exception to the requirement to provide accommodations under 28 CFR §35.139. You may exclude someone from a program if they pose a genuine, significant safety risk that cannot be solved with accommodations—but this must be based on an individualized assessment, not assumptions.
Disability
28 CFR §35.104 definition: "A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual; a record of such an impairment; or being regarded as having such an impairment." Under the ADA, disability includes people with conditions affecting major life activities (like hearing, seeing, walking, or working), people with a history of disability, and people treated as if they have a disability.
E
Entity
See "Public entity" for the definition of what organizations fall under Title II.
Equal access
Definition: The principle that programs and services must be equally effective and provide equivalent benefits to people with disabilities and people without disabilities. It is not enough to offer a separate or reduced version of your service. People with disabilities must get the same quality of service as everyone else.
Equivalent facilitation
Definition: An alternative design approach or technology that provides equal or greater accessibility compared to a standard method. If you cannot meet a requirement in one way, you may use a different approach if it provides the same or better access. This requires documentation and advance notice.
Existing facility
Definition: A facility built before the ADA's effective date of January 26, 1992. Existing buildings have different (less stringent) requirements than new construction—you must make alterations accessible but are not required to retrofit everything immediately without alteration.
F
Facility
28 CFR §35.104 definition: "All or any portion of buildings, structures, equipment, roads, walks, parking lots, rolling stock or other conveyances, or other real or personal property." A facility includes physical buildings and grounds, vehicles, equipment—essentially any physical space or resource your organization uses to provide services.
Fundamental alteration
28 CFR §35.150(a)(2) exception: A modification or alteration that would substantially change the essential nature or significantly reduce the scope of a program or service. You do not have to make a modification if it would fundamentally change what your program is or eliminate its core purpose—but this is narrowly interpreted and rarely accepted without DOJ challenge.
G
Grievance procedure
28 CFR §35.107(b) requirement: A written process for resolving complaints of disability discrimination that must be adopted and published by entities with 50 or more employees. Your organization must have a documented process for people to report discrimination complaints, and staff must know how to receive and respond to these complaints quickly and fairly.
I
IFR
2024 Web Accessibility Rule: Interim Final Rule—the regulatory mechanism used to issue the April 24, 2024 web accessibility rule, published in the Federal Register (89 FR 24291). The IFR is the temporary regulation method that created the 2024 web accessibility requirements. An IFR takes effect immediately while DOJ gathers public input for a final rule.
Individualized assessment
Definition: An assessment of a specific person's abilities and limitations required before denying a modification based on direct threat or undue burden. You cannot exclude someone or deny them an accommodation based on assumptions about their disability. You must evaluate that specific person's actual abilities and needs.
Integrated setting
28 CFR §35.130(d) preference: A program or activity that is provided to people with disabilities in the same location and with the same participants as people without disabilities, rather than in segregated environments. You must include people with disabilities in regular programs with everyone else. Separate or segregated programs are only allowed if integration is truly not feasible.
M
Major life activities
Definition: Includes caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working. The ADA protects people whose disabilities substantially limit any of these central life functions. The list is broad and includes both obvious activities like walking and less obvious ones like concentrating.
Mobile application
28 CFR §35.200 scope: Software applications designed for use on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets; covered by the same web accessibility requirements as websites. If you provide an app for the public (iOS, Android, or any mobile platform), it must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards just like your website.
Modification
28 CFR §35.130(b)(7) definition: A change to a policy, practice, or procedure required to accommodate a person with a disability and afford them equal access to services. A modification is any rule change or exception you make to your standard processes to help someone with a disability participate equally—like allowing a service dog in a no-pet facility.
N
New construction
Definition: Facility construction commenced on or after January 26, 1992; must be fully accessible at completion. Any building project your organization starts after 1992 must be completely accessible from the start. You cannot build first and retrofit later.
O
Otherwise qualified
Definition: A person who meets the essential eligibility requirements for a service or activity, with or without reasonable modifications, accommodations, or aids. You cannot exclude someone based on their disability if they meet the core requirements for your program or service. Disability alone is not a reason to say someone does not qualify.
Overlay
Definition: Third-party JavaScript widget marketed as an accessibility solution; does not independently achieve WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance. Overlays (such as accessibility toolbars) are not a compliant solution. WCAG compliance requires fixing your actual website code—overlays cannot fix fundamental accessibility problems and may create new ones.
P
Physical or mental impairment
28 CFR §35.104 definition: "(1) Any physiological disorder or condition, cosmetic disfigurement, or anatomical loss affecting one or more body systems; (2) Any mental or psychological disorder, such as intellectual disability, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, and specific learning disabilities." A disability must be a medical or mental condition. This includes visible physical conditions, internal conditions (like diabetes), and intellectual or psychiatric conditions.
Program accessibility
28 CFR §35.149–35.151 requirement: Each program, service, or activity of a public entity, when viewed in its entirety, must be accessible to people with disabilities. Your programs cannot exclude people with disabilities. You must ensure every program you run is accessible—through removal of barriers, modifications, or aids.
Public entity
28 CFR §35.104 definition: "(1) Any State or local government; (2) Any department, agency, special purpose district, or other instrumentality of a State or States or local government." Public entities are state and local governments, school districts, transit agencies, health departments, and similar government bodies. The ADA Title II applies to all of them.
Q
Qualified individual with a disability
28 CFR §35.104 definition: "An individual with a disability who, with or without reasonable modifications to rules, policies, or practices, the removal of architectural, communication, or transportation barriers, or the provision of auxiliary aids and services, meets the essential eligibility requirements for the receipt of services or the participation in programs or activities provided by a public entity." A qualified person with a disability is someone who can do the job, use the service, or participate in the program when you provide necessary accommodations. Disability is not a disqualifier if they can otherwise do it.
Qualified interpreter
28 CFR §35.104 definition: "An interpreter who is able to interpret effectively, accurately, and impartially, both receptively and expressively, using any necessary specialized vocabulary." A qualified interpreter is trained and certified to accurately convey communication between deaf/hard of hearing people and hearing people. You cannot use untrained staff or family members as interpreters.
R
Reasonable modification
Definition: A change to policies, practices, or procedures required to accommodate a person with a disability and provide equal access, unless the modification causes a fundamental alteration. You must make changes to your standard rules to help people with disabilities access your services, unless making that change would completely change what your service is.
Remediation
Definition: The process of fixing accessibility barriers in digital content, physical facilities, or services to achieve compliance. Remediation is the work you do to fix accessibility problems—updating a website to meet WCAG standards, adding captions to videos, or installing a ramp at an entrance.
S
Self-evaluation
28 CFR §35.105 requirement: Public entities must evaluate current services, policies, and practices to identify non-compliance with Part 35 and develop a plan to address barriers. You must conduct an honest audit of your programs, facilities, and digital services to identify what is not accessible, then document a plan to fix it.
Special district
Definition: A governmental unit created for a specific function, such as water districts, fire districts, transit agencies, library districts, or park districts; a public entity under Title II. Special districts are local government agencies created to manage a specific service (like water, parks, or transit). They are covered by Title II the same way cities and counties are.
State
28 CFR §35.104 definition: "Each of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands." In Title II, "state" means the 50 states plus U.S. territories and the District of Columbia. All are covered by Title II requirements.
Substantially limits
Definition: A major life activity is substantially limited when a person is significantly restricted as compared to the average person in the general population. A disability substantially limits a major life activity when it significantly impairs the person's ability to do that activity compared to most people. Courts require real, measurable impairment.
Surdo-interpreter
Definition: An interpreter who works between two deaf individuals to facilitate communication; a type of auxiliary aid. When two deaf people need to communicate, a surdo-interpreter translates between their sign language dialects or communication methods. This is an accommodation you may need to provide.
T
Title II
Definition: Subchapter II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. §§12131–12165); the section that prohibits disability discrimination by state and local governments and requires program accessibility. Title II of the ADA is the law that applies to your organization if you are a government agency. It requires you to ensure people with disabilities can access your services equally.
Transition plan
28 CFR §35.150(d) requirement: A written plan required from entities with 50 or more employees describing the steps and timeline to achieve program accessibility for identified architectural and communication barriers. If you have 50+ employees, you must document which physical barriers you have identified and create a schedule for fixing them. This plan must be public.
U
Undue burden
28 CFR §35.150(a)(3) definition: "An action requiring significant difficulty or expense"; an exception to accessibility requirements when a written finding documents the burden and alternative access is provided. You do not have to make a change if it would cost an unreasonable amount or require extraordinary effort—but you must document why in writing and offer another way for people to access the service.
URL
Definition: Uniform Resource Locator—a web address; covered digital property under 28 CFR §35.200 web accessibility requirements. Every web page, web application, and online tool your organization operates must be accessible. This includes all URLs on your website and any web-based services.
V
Video remote interpreting (VRI)
28 CFR §35.104 definition: "A service using video conferencing technology to provide qualified sign language or oral interpreting services." VRI is using video conferencing to connect a deaf person with a sign language interpreter remotely instead of having an in-person interpreter. Must be provided when requested and feasible.
VPATs
Definition: Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates—standard documentation forms that vendors and organizations use to report how digital products conform to accessibility standards. A VPAT is a document vendors provide showing how their software or website meets accessibility standards. You should require VPATs when purchasing any digital product.
W
WCAG
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines: Standards published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C); version 2.1 Level AA is the federal accessibility standard under 28 CFR §35.200. WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the official benchmark your website must meet. It includes requirements for keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, captions, color contrast, plain language, and many other features.
Web accessibility
28 CFR §35.200 requirement: The practice and legal requirement of making websites and digital content usable by people with disabilities through conformance to WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. Web accessibility means designing and building your website so people with disabilities can use it. This is now a federal legal requirement for all government organizations.
Web content
28 CFR §35.200 scope: All content on public-facing and password-protected websites operated by public entities; specific exceptions apply under 28 CFR §35.201 (such as pre-2018 content). Web content includes every page, document, image, video, form, and interactive feature on your website. Nearly all content must be accessible—there are only limited exceptions for very old material.
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