President signs ADA Amendments Act!
by Beth Finke
I’m afraid that with all the economic upheaval in the news, something important might go largely unnoticed this morning. President Bush just signed the ADA Amendments Act into law! The requirements of the new law will become effective January 1, 2009.
In-between its stories of the bail-out package and questions of whether or not the presidential debate is really going to happen tomorrow night, the Washington Post managed to squeeze in an editorial about this new legislation:
The legislation is the result of two years of remarkable cooperation between business groups and disability rights organizations. The compromise strikes a balance as it guarantees rights for workers with “actual or perceived impairments.” For example, airlines can no longer discriminate against prospective pilots if the applicants employ “mitigating measures,” such as corrective eyewear. At the same time, the bill limits unwarranted claims by requiring that workers prove they have a disability that “would substantially limit a major life activity when active.” The bill will also provide protection, for the first time, to workers with serious ailments such as diabetes, epilepsy and cancer.