According to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
“A person with a disability is someone who:
- has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities,
- has a history or record of such an impairment (such as cancer that is in remission), or
- is perceived by others as having such an impairment (such as a person who has scars from a severe burn).”
Note: The term “substantially limits” is interpreted broadly and is not meant to be a demanding standard. But not every condition will meet this standard. An example of a condition that is not substantially limiting is a mild allergy to pollen.
Links to more information:
The Impact of the ADA
https://psychologybenefits.org/2015/07/23/americans-with-disabilities-act-25th-anniversary/
Attempts to limit the ADA
https://www.lflegal.com/2020/10/ada-backlash/
https://www.americanprogressaction.org/issues/disability/news/2020/07/23/178184/hands-off-ada/
https://sanjosespotlight.com/access-v-abuse-decades-of-attempts-to-reform-ada-have-fallen-short/