What are Americans with Disabilities Act Medical Exams?
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employers are limited in when they are allowed to require medical exams. According to the ADA, any test or procedure that is intended to gather information about the health and/or physical or mental impairments of an applicant or employee is a medical exam. For example, a psychological test that is intended to determine whether a person has a mental disorder is a medical exam. But, a psychological test that only measures a person’s personality traits (such as honesty) is not a medical exam. How Can I Tell Whether or Not Something is a Medical Exam? Determining whether or not a test or procedure is a medical exam can be very difficult. Below are a few factors that are normally considered in determining whether something is a medical exam: • Is the employer seeing information about physical and/or mental abilities or impairments? • Does the test measure one’s ability to perform or one’s response to performing? • Is the test or procedure no
