New regulations that will strengthen the Americans with Disabilities Act will take effect May 24 and will apply to all private-sector employers with 15 or more employees, said Alexandra Bak-Boychuk, a fifth-year associate who works in Ballard Spahr's Labor and Employment Group. Because the regulations are expected to substantially expand the number of workers covered by ADA, Ms. Bak-Boychuk said employers should prepare now by reviewing their job descriptions, revising their policies, and training their managers.
"They're your front line, and they will now be dealing with a workforce where possibly one of every eight employees is going to qualify under the Act," she said. "Because you're going to have more employees that are going to be covered, managers are going to receive more requests for accommodations, and they also need to be trained on just how to process all of this."