This handbook provides an overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and aims to help medical schools to review and refine their institutional policies to conform with the ADA. The background section describes the 1973 Rehabilitation Act which prohibits discrimination solely on the basis of disability of an "otherwise qualified" person, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, and the ADA. This section also describes medical school policy development in response to these legislative actions. The handbook next cites relevant 1979 medical school accreditation standards regarding objectives, educational program, and medical students. A section on current legal requirements summarizes key points of the ADA. The following section looks in detail at admissions and treats the law's requirements concerning "essential functions" and "reasonable accommodation." Other sections examine student promotion and retention and procedures for school implementation. Appended is an annotated legal summary of the ADA, "The Americans With Disabilities Act" by Robert A. Burgoyne and Jacqueline R. Depew which describes the Act and addresses issues specific to colleges and universities, admissions issues, and enforcement. Contains an annotated listing of 18 relevant court cases. (JB)