ADA Frequently Asked Questions
Category: General
Question: #2
What is the Definition of a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act?
Answer:
The ADA defines a disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. The non-exhaustive list of major life activities include caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, sitting, reaching, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, interacting with others, and working. It also includes major bodily functions such as, functions of the immune system, special sense organs and skin, normal cell growth, digestive, genitourinary, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, cardiovascular, endocrine, hemic, lymphatic, musculoskeletal, and reproductive functions. The law also prohibits discrimination against individuals with a record of impairment, such as cancer patients in remission, and those regarded by others as having an impairment, such as individuals with severe facial scarring.
