January 14, 2002—The US Supreme Court has set an important precedent for interpreting the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by clarifying such key ADA terminology as “disability,” “substantially limit,” and “major life activity,” reports Ergonomics Today. In Toyota v. Williams (No. 00-1089), the Supreme Court decided in favor of Toyota, stating that the impact of an impairment must be permanent or long-term, limiting manual tasks central to daily life.
In this case, a Toyota employee in a Kentucky manufacturing developed carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis. Subsequently Toyota moved her to a new position inspecting paint quality. After several years, the company required her to rotate into a position that Williams said aggravated her condition.
Because the employee had to limit some, but not all of her activities, the court said those changes were not “such severe restrictions” that it met the ADA definition of disability.
“The Supreme Courts decision in Toyota v. Williams limits the coverage of the Americans with Disabilities Act for those with injury-related disabilities and raises the bar for proving disabilities, especially those that are not readily apparent,” said Alan Reich, President of the National Organization on Disability.
