ABSTRACT
In 1990, the U.S. Congress and President passed a law-the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)—that included revolutionary employment provisions. By providing workplace accommodations, the ADA’s employment provisions make employers take into account the ongoing needs of their workers with traditional and nontraditional disabilities alike. The law defines a physical or mental impairment by virtue of what a person cannot do rather than in terms of a specific medical condition or disease. It is not that Jane has epilepsy, but what she cannot do as a result of how this disease specifically affects her unique mind and body.
