Press & News

Camille Olson Quoted in The Kiplinger Letter
01/24/2008

“Expansion of American Disability Law Now Looks Likely”

Camille Olson is quoted in the article, “Expansion of American Disability Law Now Looks Likely,” which appeared in the January 24, 2008 issue of The Kiplinger Letter. The article discuss the current push in Congress to expand the Americans with Disabilities Act that was passed in 1990. As the law currently stands, only disabilities that “substantially limit a major life activity” are covered, while proposed changes to the law would eliminate this qualifier.

Camille notes that the proposed expansions to the ADA, as currently drafted, would not let employers take into account whether a condition was mitigated by measures such as medication or eyeglasses when deciding whether someone requesting accommodation has a disability. She states, “If you are not perfect, you would be covered by the law. Since nobody is perfect, everybody is covered. It’s absurd.” She notes that were the expansions to the ADA pass as currently drafted, employers would have to respond to requests for accommodation from workers with the flu, poison ivy, ankle sprains, stomachaches, toothaches and myriad other medical conditions that go far beyond any reasonable definition of disability.