Renewing the Commitment: An ADA Compliance Guide for Nonprofits

People with disabilities comprise more than 19 percent of the people living in the United States — an even larger percentage than Hispanics and Latinos, who are the largest ethnic, racial or cultural minority group in the United States, making up 15 percent of the population. Those who have disabilities include people of all races, ethnic backgrounds, religious beliefs, ages and sexual orientations.

Nonprofits are committed to serving the needs of the community in a variety of areas: the arts, education, recreation, human services, health, advocacy, community development and housing In metropolitan Chicago, as elsewhere, people with disabilities are more likely than their peers to be unemployed, undereducated or living in poverty — and thus more likely to be served by nonprofits carrying out community development programs or delivering services focusing on basic human needs At the same time, individuals with disabilities are among those seeking other types of opportunities offered by nonprofits: access to education, recreation, arts and culture, as well as physical and mental health care.

This guide is for all nonprofit organizations that share The Chicago Community Trust’s commitment to diversity:

• We believe that the diversity of our community is a fundamental strength of our region.
• Our mission is best fulfilled when we embrace diversity as a value and practice.
• Achieving diversity requires an enduring commitment to inclusion that must find full expression in our organizational culture, values, norms and behaviors.
• Leading by example, we aspire to make diversity a core and abiding strength of the nonprofit sector.