Multiple complaints and filing mills, 2003: “Disabled-access suit could stop Super Bowl“, Jan. 7-8. 2002: “‘Disability rights attorney accused of having inaccessible office’” (the one who sued Eastwood), Apr. 25; “Florida’s ADA filing mills grind away“, Mar. 29-31. 2001: “ADA’s busiest complaint-filer“, July 20-22. 2000: “Eastwood trial begins“, Sept. 21 (& Oct. 2: jury declines to award damages); “On the Hill: Clint Eastwood vs. ADA filing mills“, May 18-21; “Mass ADA complaints“, Mar. 7; “Bill introduced to curb opportunistic ADA filings“, Feb. 15 (& Sept. 5, 2001: Sen. Inouye co-sponsors); “Florida ADA complaint binge“, Jan. 26-27.
“Maybe crime pays dept.” (hemorrhoids not a protected disability), Apr. 1, 2003.
Sports, 2003: “Disabled-access suit could stop Super Bowl“, Jan. 7-8. 2001: “By reader acclaim: football’s substance-abuse policy challenged“, Nov. 19-20; “‘A disabling verdict for organized sports’“, June 1-3 (Casey Martin case; & see June 22-24, May 30, 2001; Sept. 29-Oct. 1, April 10, 2000). 2000: “‘NCAA Can Be Sued Under ADA, Federal District Judge Rules’“, Nov. 28; “Wheelchair marathon suit“, Oct. 23. 1999: “Update: ADA youth soccer case“, Nov. 13-14; “After Casey Martin, the deluge“, Nov. 5-7; “ADA protection for boozing student athletes“, Sept. 29.
“‘Court waives deadline as ‘reasonable accommodation’ for disabled litigator’“, Dec. 24-26, 2002.
Website accessibility: “‘Judge: Disabilities act doesn’t cover Web“, Oct. 22, 2002; “Website accessibility law hits the U.K.” (Scotland), May 7, 2001; “Olympics website’s accessibility complaint“, Aug. 16-17, 2000; “Disabled accessibility for campaign websites: the gotcha game“, July 19-20; “Welcome readers” (Intellectual Capital), June 19; “ADA & the web: sounding the alarm“, May 24; “Access excess“, May 2; “ADA & freedom of expression on the Web“, Feb. 10-11; editor’s testimony before House Judiciary Committee, Feb. 9, 2000; “Accessible websites no snap“, Dec. 21, 1999; “AOL sued for failure to accommodate blind users“, Nov. 5, 1999.
“A belt too far“, Oct. 29, 2001; “‘Sorry, Slimbo, you’re in my seats’“, June 7, 2001 (& updates Dec. 15-16, 2001, Oct. 25-27, 2002); “Obese fliers“, Dec. 20, 2000.
Safety, 2002: “Australia: ‘Blind, disabled should be able to fly’“, Sept. 30; “‘St- st – st- st- stop’“, Apr. 22; “Right to yell ‘fire’“, Apr. 5-7; “Entitled to jobs that kill?” (Echabazal v. Chevron), March 1-3 (& Jun. 19-20, 2002, Apr. 22, 2002, Nov. 5, 2001). 2001: “EEOC approves evacuation questions for disabled“, Nov. 16-18; “A belt too far“, Oct. 29; “‘Colorblind Traffic-Light Installer Gets Fired, Sues County’“, June 28. 2000: “Coffee-spill suits meet ADA“, Aug. 10; “Prospect of injury no reason not to hire“, Jul. 5; “Disabled vs. disabled” (strobe alarms pit deaf against epileptic), May 17; “Ability to remain conscious not obligatory for train dispatcher, EEOC says“, March 21; “Warn and be sued“, Jan. 12. 1999: “Indications of turbulence” (pilot’s mental state), Dec. 1; “Death by mainstreaming” (retarded boy’s fatal fall from amusement park ride), Aug. 31 (& Oct. 29, 2001); & see “Kingdom of the One-Eyed,” Reason, Jul. 1998.
“Right to break workplace rules and then return“, Sept. 16-17, 2002; “Soap star: ABC wrote my character out of the show” (”medical leave” for drug rehab), Apr. 10; “Parole board’s consideration of drug history could violate ADA“, Mar. 11, 2002; “ADA requires renting to addiction facility“, Dec. 21, 2000.
Structures: “‘ADA Goes to the Movies’“, Jan. 30, 2003; “‘Disabled entitled to same sight lines in theaters’“, Sept. 5, 2002; “There’ll always be a California” (Santa Monica accessibility law for private homes), Dec. 4, 2001 (& similar ordinances in Ill. and Ariz.: Feb. 6-7, Mar. 6, 2002)(& letter to the editor, Apr. 11); “Crowded drugstores illegal?“, Jun. 29-Jul. 1, 2001 (& letter to the editor, July 6); “Do as we say, cont’d” (Mass.), Mar. 20, 2000; “‘Dune’ as we say” (ADA on Nantucket), Jul. 17-18, 1999.
Testing under siege, 2002: “Hence, loath?asterisk“, Jul. 22-23. 2001: “Update“, Aug. 20-21 (bar exam) (& letters, Oct. 22); “Litigators vs. standardized tests, I: the right to conceal“, Feb. 9-11. 2000: “Court okays suit against ‘flagging’ of test conditions“, May 10; “Disabled test-accommodation roundup“, Feb. 16; “Disabled accommodation in testing“, Jan. 12; “Lawsuits over failing grades” (”exam phobia” claim), Jan. 4. 1999:“Disabled accommodation vs. testing fairness“, Sept. 21, 1999; and see special education.
“Disabled lap dancing just the start“, Jul. 19-21, 2002; “By reader acclaim: quadriplegic sues strip club over wheelchair access“, Jul. 16-17, 2002; “Blind customers want to touch club lapdancers“, Sept. 27-28, 2000.
“Paper currency should accommodate blind, suit argues“, Jul. 15, 2002.
“Supreme Court clarifies ADA“, Jun. 19-20, 2002.
Media, performance accessibility, 2002: “11th Circuit reinstates ‘Millionaire’ lawsuit” (suit against “Millionaire” TV show over telephone-based screening), Jun. 21-23 (& Mar. 24-26, June 12, June 19, Nov. 7, 2000; Nov. 5, 2001). 2001: “‘Panel backs deaf patron’s claim against club’” (interpreter demand at comedy club), Mar. 9-11. 2000: “Seats in all parts” (theaters), Dec. 29, 2000-Jan. 2, 2001; “Movie caption trial begins” (assistive devices aid concert bootleggers), Aug. 1; “Complaint: recreated slave ship not handicap accessible“, Jul. 21-23; “Preferred seating” (theaters), Apr. 25-26; “Newest disabled right: audio TV captioning“, Mar. 22; “‘Deaf group files suit against movie theaters’” (closed captioning demand), Feb. 19-21; “The fine print” (sue Boston Globe for reducing type size?), Feb. 17; and see website accessibility.
“Flowers, perfume in airline cabins not OK?” (Canada), May 17-19, 2002.
“Right to yell ‘fire’“, Apr. 5-7, 2002; “Compulsive grooming as protected disability“, March 16-18, 2001; “More Tourette’s discrimination suits“, March 12, 2001; “A thin-wall problem” (condo owner with Tourette’s vs. association), Aug. 21-22, 2000; “Update: Tourette’s bagger case“, Jul. 26-27, 2000; “Customer offense” (supermarket bagger with Tourette’s), Jun. 9-11, 2000.
“‘O’Connor Criticizes Disabilities Law As Too Vague’“, Mar. 22-24, 2002.
“Inability to get along with co-workers“, Mar. 8-10, 2002.
“Minimum GPA for study abroad said unfair to disabled“, Jan. 9-10, 2002.
“Mass., Ill., NYC tobacco fees” (law firm sued by attorney with cancer), Jan. 2-3, 2002.
“Segway, the super-wheelchair and the FDA“, Dec. 12, 2001.
Special ed: see schools page.
U.K.: “European workplace notes” (harassment of dyslexic), Feb. 25-26, 2002; “Website accessibility law hits the U.K.” (Scotland), May 7, 2001; “Britain’s delicate soldiery” (UK military pressed to put disabled recruits on front lines), Dec. 22-25, 2000 (& Sept. 29-Oct. 1); “European roundup” (British hiring of disabled police), Oct. 16-17; “Blind customers want to touch club lapdancers“, Sept. 27-28; From the U.K.: watch your language” (job bureau restricts use of words like “hardworking”, “enthusiastic”), June 13, 2000.
“Meet the ‘wrongful-birth’ bar“, Aug. 22-23, 2001 (more on wrongful birth/life: Dec. 11, 2001; Nov. 22-23, Sept. 8-10; June 8, May 9, Jan. 8-9, 2000).
“‘Businesses bracing for flood of lawsuits after state court ruling’” (Calif. law may apply retroactively), Aug. 1, 2001.
“N.J. court declares transsexuals protected class“, July 30, 2001.
“Six-hour police standoff no grounds for loss of job, says employee“, May 21, 2001; “‘Killer’s suit alleges job discrimination’“, Jan. 15, 2001; “‘Belligerent’ Worker Is Covered by ADA, Says Federal Court“, Dec. 18-19, 2000; “Accommodating theft” (N.J. lawyer discipline), Nov. 11, 1999; “‘Judge who slept on job faces new allegations’“, Oct. 4, 1999.
“‘2000’s Ten Wackiest Employment Lawsuits’” (reverse-bias claim by worker with no mental disability), April 13-15, 2001.
“Put out that match” (ADA invoked against agricultural burning), Feb. 28-March 1, 2001.
“Anorexia as disability“, Jan. 26-28, 2001.
“Sidewalk toilets nixed again” (Boston), Oct. 5, 2000.
“Disabled rights roundup” (sign interpreters at doctor’s offices), Sept. 29-Oct. 1;
“Welcome Toronto Star readers” (Ontario considers ADA-like law), Sept. 27-28, 2000.
“Movie caption trial begins” (Steve Chapman on ADA anniversary), Aug. 1, 2000; “‘How the ADA handicaps me’” (backfire effect in job interviews; ten year anniversary of ADA), Jul. 28-30; “ADA’s unintended consequences” (workplace losses for disabled), July 11, 2000.
“Penalty for co.’s schedule inflexibility: 30 years’ front pay” (ADA case), June 16-18, 2000; “What ADA was written for“, March 15, 2000.
“From our mail sack: ADA enforcement vignettes“, May 31, 2000. See also letter to editor, December 1, 2000.
“‘ADA’s good intentions have unintended consequences’” (John Elvin, Insight), March 3-5, 2000.
“Latest excuse syndromes“, Jan. 13-14, 2000; “Down repressed-memory lane II: distracted when she signed“, Dec. 29-30, 1999; “Mow’ better ADA claims” (disability exemption from cutting one’s lawn?), July 26, 1999.
“Blind newsdealer charged with selling cigarettes to underage buyer“, Sept. 16, 1999.
“Weekend reading” (”disability studies” in academia), Aug. 21-22, 1999.
“Be sensitive to Fluffy, or else” (obligation to accept emotional-support dog into store), July 9, 1999.
Articles by Overlawyered.com editor Walter Olson:
“Supreme Court Rescues ADA From Its Zealots,” Wall Street Journal, Jun. 18 (online subscribers only).
“Access Excess“, Reason, May 2000.
?Under the ADA, We May All Be Disabled?, ?Rule of Law?, Wall Street Journal, May 17, 1999.
“Standard Accommodations” (rise of universal disability), Reason, Feb. 1999.
“Kingdom of the One-Eyed,” Reason, July 1998.
“Still Crazy” (Casey Martin case; ADA in the courts), Reason, May 1998.
“Disabilities Law Protects Bad Doctors,” New York Times, November 28, 1997.
“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of a good beer,” excerpt from The Excuse Factory, Washington Monthly, September, 1997.
“Time to Get Off the Tenure Track”, New York Times, July 8, 1997.
“Disabling America“, National Review, May 5, 1997.
Other resources: U.S. Department of Justice ADA home page
U.S. Access Board home page
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regulations (1630: ADA implementation; 1640: coordination of ADA with Section 504; 1641 government contractors).
Text of ADA (Cornell LII)
Online ADA Handbook
NBER: ADA employment effects study (Daron Acemoglu, Joshua Angrist)
Boston Univ.: Pike Institute on Law & Disability
ABA Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law
“Disability Debate” (Reason Online, “Breaking Issues”)
“A good law gone bad” (Trevor Armbrister, Reader’s Digest)
“Handicapping Freedom” (Ed Hudgins, Regulation mag/Cato Institute)
“ADA: Time for Amendments” (Robert O’Quinn, Cato Institute, Aug. 9, 1991)
Tagged as:
Australia,
Chevron,
disabled rights,
Europe,
The Excuse Factory,
tobacco,
wrongful birth and wrongful life
