Scoping Review of the Americans with Disabilities Act: What Research Exists, and Where do we go from Here?

Abstract

A broad range of research on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) tracks its progress and impact. Much of the research is inconclusive or conflicting, creating a fragmented evidence base about the ADA’s effectiveness as a social policy. In response, academic researchers and disability organizations have called for an extensive review of the existing research. To address this fragmentation, the University of Washington has begun a five year project systematically reviewing the ADA research as part of the ADA Knowledge Translation Center at the University of Washington . This article reports results from year one of the project, the scoping review, that will assist in identifying a research plan to inform policy and practice.

Keywords: ADA, systematic review, scoping review, policy analysis