ADA Frequently Asked Questions

Category: General

How does the ADA define disability?

The ADA defines disability in three parts. A person only needs to meet one part to be protected:

1. The person has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity.
2. The person has a record or history of a disability (e.g., cancer patients who are in remission).
3. The person is regarded as or assumed to have a disability (e.g., individuals with severe facial scarring but no actual impairment).

Major Life Activities can include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, sitting, reaching, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, interacting with others, and working.

Major life activities also include Major Bodily Functions such as functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, cardiovascular, endocrine, hemic, lymphatic, musculoskeletal, and reproductive functions.

Resource(s):

• Introduction to the Americans with Disabilities Act