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⇱ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Awareness | Coursera


Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Awareness

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Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Awareness

This course is part of multiple programs.

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Beginner level

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4 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

4 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Recognize who is protected by the ADA and what “qualified individual with a disability” means in practical terms.

  • Identify common examples of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation prohibited by the ADA in the workplace.

  • Explain your role in the reasonable accommodation and interactive process, including how to route requests and keep information private.

  • Apply ADA principles in everyday situations through realistic scenarios and knowledge checks.

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Recently updated!

April 2026

Assessments

7 assignments

Taught in English

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There are 3 modules in this course

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), with a focus on Title I employment protections. Enacted in 1990 and strengthened by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, the ADA is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in employment, public services, and other areas of daily life. This course is designed for all U.S. employees—not just managers or HR professionals—because ADA compliance is a shared responsibility that depends on every person in the workplace understanding their role.

The course emphasizes practical, day-to-day application of ADA principles. Learners will build the ability to identify who is protected under the law, recognize discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, navigate the reasonable accommodation and interactive process, maintain confidentiality, and contribute to physically and digitally accessible work environments. Special attention is given to the employee's role in routing accommodation requests, responding appropriately to disclosures, and acting as a responsible bystander. Learners will engage with the material entirely through interactive experiences—including scenario-based process walkthroughs, categorization activities, flashcard explorations, and self-assessment checklists. By the end of the course, learners will be equipped to apply ADA principles confidently across in-person, remote, physical, and digital workplace settings, and to take specific actions that support an inclusive, compliant work environment.

This foundational module introduces learners to the Americans with Disabilities Act and establishes why ADA awareness is every employee's responsibility — not just a concern for managers or HR. Learners begin by exploring the ADA's purpose and real-world workplace relevance through a character-driven narrative, then build a conceptual foundation by examining the legal definition of disability, who qualifies for protection, and the distinction between essential and marginal job functions. The module concludes by connecting legal knowledge to daily behavior — covering employee rights, corresponding responsibilities, and respectful communication practices. This module supports the course's overarching goal of moving learners from awareness to action by ensuring they have the definitional and behavioral foundation needed before engaging with accommodation processes and applied scenarios in Module 2.

What's included

1 reading3 assignments10 plugins

1 readingTotal 2 minutes
  • Course Overview2 minutes
3 assignmentsTotal 30 minutes
  • Practice Quiz: Why the ADA Matters10 minutes
  • Practice Quiz: What the ADA Is and Who It Protects10 minutes
  • Practice Quiz: Rights, Responsibilities, and Etiquette10 minutes
10 pluginsTotal 47 minutes
  • Activity: The ADA Story: From Civil Rights to Your Desk5 minutes
  • Activity: Where the ADA Shows Up at Work5 minutes
  • Activity: ADA Basics: What Every Employee Should Know5 minutes
  • Activity: Understanding Disability Under the ADA4 minutes
  • Activity: Key ADA Definitions5 minutes
  • Activity: Who Is Protected? Scenarios5 minutes
  • Activity: ADA Myths versus Facts5 minutes
  • Activity: Respectful Communication: Do This, Not That4 minutes
  • Activity: Your Rights and Responsibilities Under the ADA5 minutes
  • Activity: Key Takeaways: ADA Basics for Every Employee4 minutes

Building on the foundational knowledge established in Module 1, this module moves learners from understanding ADA concepts to applying them in real workplace situations. Learners begin with the reasonable accommodation and interactive process — the procedural core of ADA compliance — following a realistic character through each step to understand their role in requesting, routing, and maintaining confidentiality. The module then shifts to applied practice, placing learners in everyday workplace scenarios involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and bystander responsibility. Finally, learners explore physical and digital accessibility barriers and the small, concrete actions every employee can take to create a more inclusive environment. This module directly supports the course's Apply-level objectives by requiring learners to transfer knowledge into context-dependent decision-making.

What's included

3 assignments14 plugins

3 assignmentsTotal 30 minutes
  • Practice Quiz: Reasonable Accommodation and the Interactive Process10 minutes
  • Practice Quiz: Everyday Scenarios10 minutes
  • Practice Quiz: Accessibility Beyond the Desk10 minutes
14 pluginsTotal 69 minutes
  • Activity: The Interactive Process in Action5 minutes
  • Activity: Roles in the Interactive Process5 minutes
  • Activity: Confidentiality: What's OK and What's Not5 minutes
  • Activity: What Could Go Wrong?5 minutes
  • Activity: ADA and Related Laws5 minutes
  • Activity: Recognizing Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation5 minutes
  • Activity: The Ergonomic Chair Request5 minutes
  • Activity: The Decision Framework5 minutes
  • Activity: The Bystander Moment5 minutes
  • Activity: Classify the Situation5 minutes
  • Activity: Physical Accessibility Barriers and Solutions5 minutes
  • Activity: Digital Accessibility Barriers and Solutions5 minutes
  • Activity: 5-Minute Accessibility Audit5 minutes
  • Activity: Key Takeaways: Accommodations and Appropriate Workplace Behavior4 minutes

This final module brings the course full circle by asking learners to demonstrate mastery of all ADA awareness concepts through a summative graded assessment. The 10-question final quiz covers the full scope of the course — from the ADA's purpose and the definition of disability through the interactive process, confidentiality, discrimination, and retaliation, and physical and digital accessibility. Following the assessment, the wrap-up provides a structured recap of all five course-level objectives and equips learners with an actionable commitment checklist and links to internal and external resources for continued learning and compliance support.

What's included

1 reading1 assignment2 plugins

1 readingTotal 2 minutes
  • Course Summary2 minutes
1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes
  • Final Quiz: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Awareness - US30 minutes
2 pluginsTotal 7 minutes
  • Activity: Key Takeaways: ADA Awareness (U.S.)4 minutes
  • Activity: Your ADA Action Plan3 minutes

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Frequently asked questions

This course is designed for all employees who want to better understand their roles and responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), regardless of job title or department. It is especially helpful for managers, HR professionals, and those involved in workplace accessibility and inclusion efforts.

Most learners can complete the entire course, including all modules and assessments, in approximately 60–90 minutes. You may progress at your own pace and return to materials as needed.

Yes, upon successfully completing the final assessment, you will receive a certificate of completion that can be shared with your supervisor or HR department as needed.

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Financial aid available,