What are the types of disabilities recognized by the ADA?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a civil rights law that provides protection to individuals with disabilities. In Florida, the ADA provides a person with a disability the legal right to equal access to businesses, services, and other opportunities. The ADA categorizes disabilities into three broad categories: physical, mental, and learning disabilities. Physical disabilities are physical impairments that limit an individual’s physical activities, such as mobility or dexterity. Examples of physical disabilities could include spinal cord injuries, deafness, blindness, cerebral palsy, and muscular dystrophy. Mental disabilities are psychological impairments that limit an individual’s ability to think, reason, understand, or remember. Examples of mental disabilities could include depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and developmental disorders. Learning disabilities are impairments that limit an individual’s ability to process and communicate information. Examples of learning disabilities could include dyslexia, memory deficiencies, difficulty with mathematics, and auditory processing disorders. The ADA recognizes any disability that substantially limits a major life activity, such as walking, talking, seeing, hearing, learning, working, caring for oneself, and performing manual tasks. The ADA prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in employment, access to public services and accommodations, transportation, and telecommunications.

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