Disability: The term “disability” means, with respect to an individual; (a) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual; (b) a record of such an impairment; or (c) being regarded as having such an impairment. Even if a condition is an impairment, it is not automatically a disability. To rise to the level of a disability, a physical or mental impairment must substantially limit one or more major life activities.
Physical or Mental Impairment: A physical or mental impairment means (a) any physiological disorder or condition, cosmetic disfigurement, or anatomical loss affecting one or more body systems, such as neurological, musculoskeletal, special sense organs, respiratory (including speech organs), cardiovascular, reproductive, digestive, genitourinary, immune, circulatory, hemic, lymphatic, skin, and endocrine; or (b) any mental or psychological disorder, such as an intellectual disability, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, and specific learning disabilities.
Major Life Activity: Major life activities include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working. A major life activity also includes the operation of a major bodily function, including but not limited to, functions of the immune system, special sense organs and skin; normal cell growth; and digestive, genitourinary, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, cardiovascular, endocrine, hemic, lymphatic, musculoskeletal, and reproductive functions. The operation of a major bodily function includes the operation of an individual organ within a body system.
Substantially Limits: The term “substantially limits” is not meant to be a demanding standard; however, the impairment must still substantially limit the ability of an individual to perform a major life activity as compared to most people in the general population. While an impairment need not prevent, or significantly or severely restrict, the individual from performing a major life activity in order to be considered substantially limiting, not every impairment will constitute a disability within the meaning of the law. Considerations include, compared to most people in the general population, the condition under with the individual performs the major life activity, the manner in which the individual performs the major life activity, and/or the duration of time it takes the individual to perform the major life activity, or for which the individual can perform the major life activity.
