Do people who use wheelchairs have disabilities under the ADA?
The ADA does not contain a list of medical conditions that constitute disabilities. Instead, the ADA has a general definition of disability that each person must meet (EEOC, 1992). Therefore, some people who use wheelchairs will have a disability under the ADA and some will not. A person has a disability if he/she has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a record of such an impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment (EEOC, 1992). For more information about how to determine whether a person has a disability under the ADA, visit http://www.jan.wvu.edu/corner/vol02iss04.htm. To what extent do employers have to modify existing work-sites to make them accessible for employees who use wheelchairs? Under Title I of the ADA, employers are not required to make existing facilities accessible until a particular applicant or employee with a disability needs an accommodation, and then the modifications should meet that individual’
