While certainly more must be done for the disabled, the ADA is the best method to clear the way for equality and more opportunities. The ADA is vague and too often those without serious disabilities, such as back pain, benefit from the law, costing businesses millions. But the ADA has proved to be far from simple, and advocates on both sides of the issue have struggled with its vague language about who is and who is not disabled. The Supreme Court has been left to decide those questions. In 1999, the Court ruled that ADA does not protect people with physical corrections that can be corrected, such as poor vision or high blood pressure.
Recent reports illustrate mixed results.
A new Harris poll shows that despite the booming economy, the disabled aren't benefiting from the new prosperity as much as the rest of the country. The current national unemployment rate is 4 percent. Some groups think so. The National Federation for the Blind is suing America Online. If the plaintiffs were to win, AOL and other Internet service providers would have to make their services accessible to blind people and others who are disabled.