COVID-19 and the Americans with Disabilities Act: Implications for employment and higher education.

This article presents a rapid evidence review examining how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected individuals with disabilities in the domains of employment and higher education, with a focus on implications for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a federal law protecting against disability discrimination. The review synthesized findings from twelve U.S.-based studies published since 2020, identifying three main ADA-related themes: web accessibility challenges primarily in higher education; effective communication barriers and facilitators in both employment and higher education; and reasonable accommodations, especially telework, in employment. The findings highlight persistent and new challenges for people with disabilities during the pandemic, as well as emerging opportunities to enhance ADA implementation, while also noting significant gaps in research across these policy areas.