The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as revised multiple times in various years) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs conducted by federal agencies, in programs receiving federal financial assistance, in federal employment, and in the employment practices of federal contractors. The most recent revision of the legislation occurred in 2014 with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (see more information above).
The provisions of Title II of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 created ACL's National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research with the mission to generate new knowledge and to promote its effective use to improve the abilities of individuals with disabilities to perform activities of their choice in the community; and to expand society's capacity to provide full opportunities and accommodations for its citizens with disabilities. Visit this website for information about the purpose of NIDILRR and research areas it covers. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 transferred NIDLRR from the U.S. Department of Education to ACL.
Title VII of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 created the Independent Living Services and Centers for Independent Living programs. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 created the Independent Living Administration and transferred these programs to ACL from the U.S. Department of Education.
See also the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which provided comprehensive change to a number of employment and education-related programs, including services for people with physical, intellectual, and developmental disabilities.