The Americans with Disabilities Act: Toyota Motor Manufacturing v. Williams (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Jan. 15, 2002 |
| Report Number |
RS21105 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Nancy Lee Jones, American Law Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
The Supreme Court, in Toyota Motor Manufacturing v. Williams, held that to be an
individual with
a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) an individual must have substantial
limitations on abilities that are central to daily life, rather than only to those abilities used in the
workplace. In an unanimous opinion written by Justice O'Connor, the Court interpreted the
definition of individual with disability narrowly to exclude individuals who are limited only in the
performance of manual tasks associated with their job. This report will briefly discuss
Williams and
its implications for the ADA. For a more detailed discussion of the ADA see CRS Report 98-921 ,
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Statutory Language and Recent Issues.
This report will
not be updated.
