The Americans With Disabilities Act knowledge survey: Strong psychometrics and weak knowledge

Objectives: To construct and validate a measure that assesses knowledge of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and to examine ADA knowledge among private and public sector representatives. Study Design and Subjects: A 20-item measure was developed and administered to undergraduates (n = 210) and ADA experts (n = 34) to establish validity and reliability. Then, it was administered to 133 private and public sector representatives. Results: The ADA experts obtained a significantly higher mean than undergraduates. Reliability analysis resulted in a Cronbach's alpha of .82. Furthermore, private and public sector representatives demonstrated little ADA knowledge. Conclusions: A valid and reliable measure, the ADA Knowledge Survey may be administered to individuals who are responsible for the law's implementation.