‘Disabling’ America, One Lawsuit At A Time

by Arnold Ahlert - March 30th, 2011 - Jewish World Review

In 2008, President Bush signed into law the "ADA Amendments Act of 2008" ("ADAAA"), which clarified and broadened the definition of disability and--just like so many other government programs--expanded the population eligible for protections under the ADA. Thus for example, the new rules now cover "episodic conditions and mitigating measures…expanding disability coverage…many courts had previously concluded were not covered under the ADA," according to law firm Baker Botts L.L.P.

The law firm then states the obvious: "Employers might expect to see an increase in requests for reasonable accommodations, and should review their procedures for responding to such requests to acknowledge this expanded disability coverage. Employers might also expect to see an increase in litigation testing the limits of the new provisions, at least in those states that do not already have more generous state disability discrimination laws."

Translation: trial lawyers are going a have a field day shaking down businesses on behalf of people whose "disabilities" will undoubtedly stretch decent Americans' credulity to the breaking point. Nothing illustrates this better than a Fox News article on the law in which legal experts reveal the ultimate absurdity: "Millions of Americans may be disabled and not even know it."

Does this strike fear into your soul? It should. It is exactly how, through unintended consequences, progressives are stripping us of our freedom in the name of justice. What results is not justice. We have become a nation strangled by lawyers and judges, where anyone who is willing to "whine" gets a free ride from those who work.