The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Fair Housing Act (FHA)
are two critical pieces of legislation that protect individuals with disabilities from discrimination. The ADA, in particular, defines a disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. The FHA, on the other hand, prohibits discrimination based on disability in the rental, sale, or financing of housing.
Both the ADA and FHA define major life events as events that significantly impact an individual’s ability to carry out daily tasks or participate in essential life activities. These events include physical, mental, and psychiatric conditions that impact an individual’s ability to live independently and participate in society fully.
Physical life events
refer to impairments that affect an individual’s ability to carry out physical tasks such as walking, standing, sitting, or lifting objects. These events include but are not limited to paralysis, amputations, arthritis, and spinal cord injuries. The ADA requires that employers and public entities provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with physical disabilities to enable them to perform their jobs or access public services.
Mental life events,
on the other hand, refer to conditions that impact an individual’s ability to think, reason, or process information. These events include intellectual disabilities, developmental disorders, and learning disabilities. The ADA and FHA require employers and landlords to provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with mental disabilities to enable them to perform their jobs and access housing.
Psychiatric life events
refer to mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress disorder. These conditions can significantly impact an individual’s daily life, including their ability to work, socialize, and function independently. Although it can impact these areas, these areas are not automatically considered major life activities. See ADA and Disabilities for more information. Specifically in regards to socialization.
The ADA and FHA recognize most psychiatric disabilities as major life events and require employers and landlords to provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with such conditions.
For example, an individual with depression may require flexible work hours or additional breaks to manage their symptoms. Similarly, an individual with post-traumatic stress disorder may require a service animal to help them manage their anxiety in public places.
The ADA and FHA define major life events as physical, mental, and psychiatric conditions that significantly impact an individual’s ability to carry out daily tasks and participate in essential life activities. These laws require employers and landlords to provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities to enable them to work, access housing, and participate fully in society. It is essential to recognize the importance of these laws in ensuring that individuals with disabilities have equal access to opportunities and resources.
