FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CR THURSDAY, JULY 6, 1995 (202) 616-2765 TDD (202) 514-1888 ASSIGNMENT DESK PLANNING MEMORANDUM PRESS BRIEFING ON THE FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ADA WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Justice Department experts will conduct briefings over the next two weeks for reporters covering the fifth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26. This landmark civil rights law prohibits discrimination in state and local government, public accommodations, telecommunications, employment, and transportation against 49 million Americans with disabilities. Informational Briefings Experts in disability rights law will be available to answer reporters' questions and discuss Justice Department efforts to enforce the ADA. The briefings will be scheduled at various times throughout the next two weeks to accommodate reporters' needs. To participate in any of the briefings, contact: Lee Douglass Office of Public Affairs 202-514-2008 Written Status Update Handouts summarizing the law, highlighting cases brought by the Justice Department, and describing past settlements in your region are available upon request. The Department of Justice is one of the primary agencies charged with the ADA's enforcement. Since the law went into effect in January 1992, the Justice Department has entered into approximately 350 settlements to ensure compliance with the ADA. For example, in May the City of Chicago agreed to make its 9-1-1 emergency service accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing or have speech impairments. # # # 95-377