This PowerPoint presentation from the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) thoroughly explains the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) Regulations, which were published in March 2011. The overall goal of the ADAAA and implementing regulations is to encourage less litigation over whether something is a covered disability, and redirect court inquiry onto whether the plaintiff was discriminated against.
This presentation is useful to anyone seeking to understand the ADAAA and regulations. It does a particularly good job of walking a reader through the prongs of ADA analysis, the rules of construction for the act, and in explaining how they should be understood. For lawyers handling HIV discrimination cases, the ADAAA is expected to substantially ease the difficulty of arguing that HIV is a disability. Commissioners Feldblum and Lipnic emphasize that the regulations state that "[I]t should easily be concluded that the following types of impairments will, at a minimum, substantially limit the major life activities indicated" and include HIV, as it substantially limits the functions of the immune system.
The Center for HIV Law and Policy challenges barriers to the rights and health of people affected by HIV through legal advocacy, high-impact policy initiatives, and creation of cross-issue partnerships, networks, and resources. We support movement building that amplifies the power of individuals and communities to mobilize for change that is rooted in racial, gender, and economic justice.