< Back to Previous Page Florida Disability Law Promotes Employment Of People With Disabilities In 2004, Florida established the Agency for Persons with Disabilities and Maryland elevated its former Office on Individuals with Disabilities to cabinet-level status. Florida, Kansas, and New Hampshire have taken steps to ensure a level of accessibility of state websites that meets or exceeds the standards applicable to the federal government under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. The Florida Freedom Initiative is a demonstration project that allows certain individuals who received Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income to earn and save more than current law generally permits without losing vital benefits. Maryland and Vermont have participated in a pilot project to have some employees serve as "disability program navigators" at state One Stop Career Centers created under the Workforce Investment Act to help people with disabilities access these services more easily. Youth Leadership Forums in Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Vermont, and Washington annually bring together thirty to forty high school juniors and seniors to participate in several days of activities that help them develop vocational goals, strengthen leadership skills, and learn from the experiences of other youth and adults with disabilities. Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) (2) prohibits private and state and local government entities that employ fifteen or more employees from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities with respect to recruitment, the application process, hiring, advancement, and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment. (3) Employers covered by Title I of the ADA must also make reasonable accommodations so that qualified individuals with disabilities may participate in the application process, perform the essential (or fundamental) duties of a job, and enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment available to all employees.