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Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 , which took effect July 26, 1992,prohibits private employers, state and local governments, employmentagencies, and labor unions from discriminating against qualifiedindividuals with disabilities in job application procedures; hiring;firing; advancement; compensation; job training; and other terms,conditions and privileges of employment. An individual with adisability is a person who: Has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities Has a record of such an impairment Is regarded as having such an impairment A qualified employee or applicant with a disability is anindividual who, with or without reasonable accommodation, can performthe essential functions of the job in question. Reasonableaccommodation may include, but is not limited to: Making existing facilities used by employees readily accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities Job restructuring Modifying work schedules Reassignment to a vacant position Acquiring or modifying equipment or devices Adjusting modifying examinations, training materials, or policies, and providing qualified readers or interpreters An employer is required to make an accommodationto the known disability of a qualified applicant or employee if itwould not impose an "undue hardship" on the operation of the employer'sbusiness. Undue hardship is defined as an action requiring significantdifficulty or expense when considered in light of factors such as anemployer's size, financial resources, and the nature and structure ofits operation. An employer is not required to lower quality or productionstandards to make an accommodation, nor is an employer obligated toprovide personal use items such as glasses or hearing aids. Medical examinations and inquiries Employers may not ask job applicants about the existence, nature, orseverity of a disability. Applicants may be asked about their abilityto perform specific job functions. A job offer may be conditioned onthe results of a medical examination, but only if the examination isrequired for all entering employees in similar jobs. Medicalexaminations of employees must be job related and consistent with theemployer's business needs. Drug and alcohol abuse

Employers may not ask job applicants about the existence, nature, orseverity of a disability. Applicants may be asked about their abilityto perform specific job functions. A job offer may be conditioned onthe results of a medical examination, but only if the examination isrequired for all entering employees in similar jobs. Medicalexaminations of employees must be job related and consistent with theemployer's business needs. Drug and alcohol abuse Employees and applicants currently engaging in the illegal use of drugsare not covered by the ADA when an employer acts on the basis of suchuse. Tests for illegal drugs are not subject to the ADA's restrictionson medical examinations. Employers may hold illegal drug users andalcoholics to the same performance standards as other employees. EEOC enforcement of the ADA The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued regulations toenforce the provisions of Title I of the ADA on July 26, 1991. Theprovisions originally took effect on July 26, 1992, and coveredemployers with 25 or more employees. On July 26, 1994, the thresholddropped to include employers with 15 or more employees.