Violations of disability laws (such as the Americans with Disabilities Act in the U.S.) occur when qualified individuals are denied equal opportunity, segregated, or subjected to discriminatory policies or environments. Violations are categorized primarily by the type of environment: [1, 2, 3]

Workplace (Title I)

• Refusing Employment or Promotion: Firing or refusing to hire someone solely due to a real or perceived disability if they are otherwise qualified. [1]
• Failure to Accommodate: Not providing reasonable accommodations (e.g., modified work schedules, specialized equipment, accessible workstations) unless it creates an undue hardship. [1, 2]
• Improper Medical Inquiries: Asking job applicants about their medical history before making a conditional job offer. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Public Accommodations & Businesses (Title III)

• Architectural Barriers: Missing or inadequate wheelchair ramps, narrow doorways, missing curb cuts, or restrooms that fail to meet strict measurement and grab-bar requirements. [1, 2, 3]
• Service Animal Discrimination: Refusing service to individuals accompanied by service animals(note: this generally excludes emotional support animals in commercial settings). [1, 2, 3]
• Inaccessible Digital Spaces: Websites and mobile applications that are not properly coded to be screen-reader accessible or compatible with other assistive technologies. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

State & Local Government (Title II)

• Inaccessible Services: Failing to provide accessible voting locations, public libraries, or town meetings. [1, 2, 3, 4]
• Communication Barriers: Not providing sign language interpreters or auxiliary aids for individuals with hearing, vision, or speech disabilities. [1]
• Inaccessible Public Transit: Public city buses or transport systems that lack working wheelchair lifts or designated accessible seating. [1, 2]

Housing & Education

• Housing Restrictions: Refusing to allow a tenant with a disability to make necessary reasonable modifications to a unit at their own expense, or denying a legitimate reasonable accommodation (e.g., waiving a “no pets” policy for an emotional support animal).
• Educational Exclusion: In the U.S., schools (under the ADA and IDEA) violate rights when they fail to provide a “least restrictive environment” or implement an agreed-upon Individualized Education Program (IEP). [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]