Disability Law Commons^™

Addiction As Disability: The Protection Of Alcoholics And Drug Addicts Under The Americans With Disabilities Act Of 1990, Reese J.J. Henderson

Vanderbilt Law Review

With the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), Congress finally acknowledged that employment discrimination against the disabled continues to be a serious problem in the United States. Approximately forty-three million Americans are disabled. As many as two-thirds of disabled individuals of working age are unemployed, and half of all adults with disabilities have household incomes of fifteen thousand dollars or less. Although most unemployed disabled individuals depend on insurance payments or government benefits for support, polls reveal that a majority would rather work than depend on such assistance. The ADA provides a comprehensive plan for main-streaming …