Catherwood LibraryILR School

Last week, Congress passed the final version of a new bill addressing job discrimination and disabilities, and President Bush agreed to sign it. The bill has been tossed around Washington for five years now, and expands upon the first Americans with Disabilities Act, which was passed in 1990 to protect those with ?substantially limiting? physical or mental handicaps. The new bill aims to address those with smaller handicaps (i.e. carpal tunnel, epilepsy, heart disease) who have been, up until now, ?too disabled to do the job, but not disabled enough to be protected by the ADA.? An employee must still be qualified to do the job, but an employer must make ?reasonable accommodations? of disabled employees. While the bill has won the support of business organizations like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, some employers are nervous about having to deal with an increased number of persons protected under the Americans with Disabilities Acts.