American Disabilities Act

In nineteen ninety Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act. This act was established in order to eliminate discrimination of people with disabilities and to break down barriers in society that limits the freedom a disabled person. According to Section 2 Subsection A part one, "some 43,000,000 Americans have one or more physical or mental disabilities, and this number is increasing as the population as a whole is growing older." As the number suggests there are a lot of people that would be classified as disabled making this act very important. This paper will look at the Americans with Disabilities Act as how it pertains to helping people with disabilities based on who is covered, what are their rights, and what legal actions they have if they believe they have been discriminated against. The Americans with Disabilities Act has four main section each with its own rights for the individual and what is required of society to help to better their life. The first section is Title I this section is designed to set forth rules for the employer when making decisions to hire, fire, promote, interview, or any other terms and conditions of employment. The next issue covered in Title I is who or how a person is to be classified as disabled. The Americans with Disabilities act has set forth some standards that must be made in order to meet the requirements of being disabled. A disabled person is defined as one who, "(i) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; (ii) has a record of such an impairment; or (iii) is regarded as having such an impairment." Examples of possible disabilities are "any physiological disorder, cosmetic disfigurements, or anatomical loss affecting one or more of the following body systems: neurological, musculoskeletal, special sense organs, respiratory (including speech organs), cardiovascular, reproductive, digestive, skin… any mental or psychological disorder, such as mental