Disability Policy Term Definition

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA), an individual has a disability if she/he has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment. Although some disabilities (e.g., spinal cord injury or blindness) are readily observable, other disabilities are not as obvious. In the case of disabilities that are not as obvious, a qualified professional must perform a specialized assessment to identify the disability.