Commonly Asked Questions About Child Care Centers and the Americans with Disabilities Act

21. Q: Do we have to help children take off and put on their leg braces and provide similar types of assistance to children with mobility impairments?

A: Generally, yes. Some children with mobility impairments may need assistance in taking off and putting on leg or foot braces during the child care day. As long as doing so would not be so time consuming that other children would have to be left unattended, or so complicated that it can only done by licensed health care professionals, it would be a reasonable modification to provide such assistance.

The Department of Justice's settlement agreement with the Sunshine Child Center of Gillett, Wisconsin, addresses this issue and others (see question 26).