U.S. To Hear Small Business ADA Case

ByJohn S. McClenahen Until Sept. 30 the U.S. Supreme Court had no Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) cases on its docket for the term that begins Oct. 7. That's changed, with the justices on Oct. 1 having agreed to hear Clackamas Gastroenterology Associates PC v. Deborah Wells (No. 01-1435). At issue is who should be counted as employees to determine whether a company is a small business exempt from ADA requirements. The 1990 act is aimed at protecting people with disabilities from discrimination. But it is broadly written, and a dozen years after its enactment U.S. courts continue to define its reach.