Before you Determine If an Employee has a Disability as Defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA:
An individual with a disability is a person who:
Has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a "major life activity," has a record of such an impairment, is regarded as having such an impairment.  (Relationship to a person with a disability is also included.) 
Remember the 4 R's: Really are..., Record of having..., Regarded as... or Relationship with...
"Major life activities" include functions such as: caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, *thinking, *concentrating, and *interaction with others.
(* Applies to an identified mental impairment.)
THIS IS NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST!
If an employee has a hidden disability you may ask for documentation specific to the disability.  The impairment(s) must substantially limit one or more major life activities.  Factors to be considered when determining if an impairment is substantially limiting are:
Nature
Severity
Expected duration
Expected long term impact
This determination should be made on a case-by-case basis.
"Some impairments may be disabling for particular individuals but not for others."
If the employee meets the ADA definition of a person with a disability and has requested a reasonable accommodation the next step is to:
Identify the essential functions of their position and initiate the reasonable accommodation process.
This document is available in alternative formats upon request.   
		May 27, 1999
		Version 1.0 Page 1