Handicap

Although the terms disability, impairment, and handicap are often used interchangeably, their definitions vary. A handicap refers to a disadvantage in completing certain "roles" in life relative to a peer group. A disability causes a functional limitation (physical, mental, cognitive, emotional, developmental, sensory or some combination of these impairments) for a person to complete a particular activity, and an impairment refers to a problem or injury to a specific organ, process, or structure within a person's body. The functional or anatomic loss or abnormality caused by the impairment can be temporary or permanent.

State and Federal workers' compensation laws prohibit employers from discriminating against workers who are handicapped. Passed in 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against "individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public." The goal of the ADA is to ensure people with disabilities and handicaps have the same rights, protections, and opportunities as other individuals.

Under the ADA, workers are protected and certain employers are not allowed to discriminate against handicapped workers. They are, instead, required to provide reasonable accommodations to allow the handicapped to work, assuming they can perform the essential functions of the job. The law does not require unlimited accommodation but only changes that are deemed "reasonable" and which do not place "undue hardship" on the employer.