	Introduction

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (together, ADA) have often been described as the most sweeping nondiscrimination legislation since the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The ADA provides broad nondiscrimination protection in employment, public services, public accommodations and services operated by private entities, transportation, and telecommunications for individuals with disabilities. After the ADA Amendments Act, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency responsible for enforcing Title I of the ADA, issued regulations that provide the following guidance on interpreting the term substantially limits :
The primary object of attention in cases brought under the ADA should be whether covered entities have complied with their obligations and whether discrimination has occurred, not whether an individual's impairment substantially limits a major life activity. It does not exempt state and local governments. Definition of the Term Qualified Individual

The ADA prohibits discrimination against "qualified individuals." It defines the term qualified individual to mean "an individual who, with or without reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of the employment position that such individual holds or desires." "Reasonable Accommodation"

If a qualified individual with a disability could perform the job he or she is seeking with reasonable accommodation by the employer, the employer may not discriminate against the individual on the basis of disability. This section protects, for example, parents of children with disabilities from discrimination solely because they have children with disabilities. The requirement that a covered entity provide reasonable accommodations for a qualified individual with a disability does not mean that the covered entity must provide whatever accommodation the individual with a disability identifies. The ADA covers drug addicts and alcoholics who are in recovery or in rehabilitation programs and are not using illegal drugs or alcohol—and any individual who is regarded as using illegal drugs and abusing alcohol but is not. Compensatory and Punitive Damages

The Civil Rights Act of 1991 expanded the remedies available in cases involving intentional discrimination, as opposed to cases involving facially neutral employment practices that have a disparate impact on individuals with disabilities. In addition, there is a "good faith" exception to the award of damages for defendants found to have failed to provide reasonable accommodation.
Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (together, ADA) prohibit discrimination in employment against qualified individuals on the basis of disability. The ADA defines the term disability broadly to include individuals with disabilities, individuals with a history of a disability, and individuals regarded as having disabilities whether they have one or not. The ADA protects alcoholics and drug addicts who are in recovery, but does not protect individuals who are actively abusing drugs or alcohol.
The ADA requires "covered entities"—including labor unions, employment contractors, and private companies and state and local governments with 15 or more employees—to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities so that they can perform the essential functions of their jobs. Employers need not provide whatever accommodations individuals with disabilities identify. Rather, employers need to negotiate with individuals with disabilities to settle on reasonable accommodations. They do not need to provide accommodations that would impose undue burdens. The ADA limits the types of questions that employers can ask of individuals with disabilities, and governs employers' requirement and use of medical and other tests.
Individuals with disabilities who believe they have been unlawfully discriminated against can bring claims against their employers with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the state counterpart. In addition, the Attorney General may enforce the ADA by bringing lawsuits when there is a pattern or practice of unlawful discrimination. Under the ADA, plaintiffs may seek a variety of remedies including injunctions, damages, and even compensatory and punitive damages in cases of intentional discrimination.