The role of the pediatrician in implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act: subject review. American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Children with Disabilities.

In this statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics reaffirms the importance of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), which guarantees people with disabilities certain rights to enable them to participate more fully in their communities. Pediatricians need to know about the ADA provisions to be able to educate and counsel their patients and patients' families appropriately. The ADA mandates changes to our environment, including reasonable accommodation to the needs of individuals with disabilities, which has application to schools, hospitals, physician offices, community businesses, and recreational programs. Pediatricians should be a resource to their community by providing information about the ADA and the special needs of their patients, assisting with devising reasonable accommodation, and counseling adolescents about their expanded opportunities under the ADA.