Opinion ID: 165841
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Disability and Failure to Accommodate

Text: On appeal, Ms. Burns asserts the district court erred in granting summary judgment based solely on her failure to provide a conclusive medical opinion on her disability; she contends she was only required to advise her employer of her medically-required restrictions and possible ways to accommodate them. Ms. Burns claims she sufficiently raised the issue of having lupus and the need for a reasonable accommodation when she gave “lupus flare-up” as a reason for missing one day of work; told various other employees, including her two supervisors, she had lupus; and reported to an EEO counselor she had lupus and hoped to get a job in the mills. In general, Ms. Burns complains her lupus limited -16- her in her ability to stand and walk with respect to the overtime hours required for her position. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) provides that “[n]o covered entity shall discriminate against a qualified individual with a disability because of the disability of such individual in regard to job application procedures, the hiring, advancement, or discharge of employees, employee compensation, job training, and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.” 42 U.S.C. § 12112(a). “Merely having an impairment does not make one disabled for purposes of the ADA.” Toyota Motor Mfg., Ky., Inc. v. Williams, 534 U.S. 184, 195 (2002). To prevail under the ADA, an employee must establish: “(1) she is a disabled person as defined by the ADA; (2) she is qualified, with or without reasonable accommodation, to perform the essential functions of the job held or desired; and (3) the employer discriminated against her because of her disability.” Doyal v. Okla. Heart, Inc., 213 F.3d 492, 495 (10th Cir. 2000). “To establish a prima facie case of discrimination under the ADA, Plaintiff must first establish that [she] is ‘disabled’ within the meaning of the statute.” Lusk v. Ryder Integrated Logistics, 238 F.3d 1237, 1239 (10th Cir. 2001). -17- “Disability” is statutorily defined or established by showing: “(A) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of [an] individual; (B) a record of such impairment; or (C) being regarded as having such an impairment.” Id. (relying on 42 U.S.C. § 12102(2)) (alteration in original). A “major life activity” is a “basic activity that the average person in the general population can perform with little or no difficulty,” and includes walking, standing, sitting, lifting and working. Doyal, 213 F.3d at 495-96 (quotation marks and citation omitted). In order for the impairment to be substantially limiting, the individual must be: (1) [u]nable to perform a major life activity that the average person in the general population can perform; or (2) [s]ignificantly restricted as to the condition, manner or duration under which an individual can perform a particular major life activity as compared to the condition, manner, or duration under which the average person in the general population can perform that same major life activity. Id. at 496 (quoting 29 C.F.R. § 1630.2(j)(1)). Moderate restrictions on the ability to walk and stand have been determined not to amount to a substantial limitation, 4 and we have held comparative evidence must be produced on the issue of lifting to show such an activity is substantially limited, unless the impairment appears 4 See Talk v. Delta Airlines, Inc., 165 F.3d 1021, 1025 (5th Cir. 1999) (walking); Penny v. United Parcel Serv., 128 F.3d 408, 415 (6th Cir. 1997) (same); Kelly v. Drexel Univ., 94 F.3d 102, 106 (3rd Cir. 1996) (same); 29 C.F.R. Pt. 1630, App. 1630.2(j) (same). See also Taylor v. Pathmark Stores, Inc., 177 F.3d 180, 186-87 (3rd Cir. 1999) (standing); Gallimore v. Newman Mach. Co., 301 F.Supp.2d 431, 445-46 (M.D.N.C. 2004) (same). -18- substantially limiting on its face. See Lusk, 238 F.3d at 1240-41. To aid in assessing whether a major life activity is substantially limited, the evaluator must consider the type and severity of the impairment, the length of time the impairment has lasted or is expected to last, and the expected permanent and/or long-term impact of the impairment, 29 C.F.R. § 1630.2(j)(2), as well as any mitigating or corrective measures. See Pack v. Kmart Corp., 166 F.3d 1300, 1305-06 (10th Cir. 1999). In this case, Ms. Burns has failed to show she has a disability, either through evidence of a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities; a record of such an impairment; or being regarded as having such an impairment. Doyal, 213 F.3d at 495. With respect to a major life activity, Ms. Burns has failed to show any inability or restriction in lifting, standing, or walking. In fact, during her interview and physical, she indicated her ability to perform such major life activities at work, and in fact, did so on numerous occasions while voluntarily performing overtime at the Mint. Even though she now complains she had difficulty walking and standing on three or four occasions during her eleven months of employment at the Mint, this is clearly insufficient to show she cannot perform these activities in the condition, manner or duration of the average person. Doyal, 213 F.3d at 496. Moreover, -19- nothing in the record shows her walking, standing and lifting problems, if any, were severe, long-term or had a permanent impact. Second, no record of an impairment exists to show Ms. Burns suffers from the disability she claims, other than her own self-serving, contradictory, conversational declarations to other employees she had lupus, and one excuse she gave for missing work due to a “lupus flare-up.” These representations are insufficient to create a record of disability sufficient to overcome summary judgment, especially when considered together with: 1) her statement on the SelfIdentification of Handicap form that she had no disability; 2) an entry on her physical examination form in which she indicated she no longer suffered from lupus; 3) her statements to a supervisor and other employees at the Mint she was not sure she had lupus and that a doctor told her she did not have lupus; 4) her failure to provide medical documentation she suffered from such a condition, especially given Mr. Romero told her any future sick leave must be supported by a doctor’s note; 5) her lack of such a diagnosis by the three rheumatologists who examined her on at least four occasions from 1998 to 2002; 6) her representations when applying for the position that she could perform the functions of standing and walking for eight hours and lifting twenty-eight to fifty pounds; and 7) her actual performance of those functions, together with her frequent ability to work -20- overtime over the course of her eleven-month probationary period. In addition, as the district court pointed out, Ms. Burns failed to provide medical or other evidence to counter the Mint’s expert's opinion she did not suffer from lupus, which is only one more factor in this case which we considered in determining Ms. Burns fails to show she is a qualified individual with a disability under the ADA. Thus, contrary to Ms. Burns's contentions, her failure to survive summary judgment is not based solely on the fact she failed to provide formal medical documentation of her disability. Nonetheless, Ms. Burns claims she gave the Mint sufficient notice of her disability by telling other employees she had lupus; and in support, relies on our decision in Smith v. Midland Brake, Inc., 180 F.3d 1154 (10th Cir. 1999). However, in that case, this court discussed the interactive process which occurs after an employee provides notice of the following: 1) the disability; 2) the resulting limitations of that disability; and 3) the desire for reassignment if no accommodation is possible in the employee’s existing job. Id. at 1171-72. We pointed out a plaintiff could only survive summary judgment by showing he or she is a disabled person within the meaning of the ADA and made her or his limitations and requests for accommodation known to the employer. Id. at 1179. In this case, Ms. Burns has failed, as previously discussed, to show she is disabled -21- under the ADA, or that she sufficiently notified the Mint of any limitations resulting from a disability, or requested an accommodation. Specifically, Ms. Burns's request for “light duty” on the mills, based solely on her self-serving, contradictory verbal declarations as to her lupus condition, without more, was insufficient to place the Mint on notice of a disability, any limitations resulting therefrom, or a request for accommodation. In addition, the record shows the two individuals who were considered over Ms. Burns for the mill position were considered more qualified based on certain legitimate scoring methods, and that the woman who was accommodated for lupus had presented the Mint with medical documentation confirming her disability. Finally, nothing in the record shows Ms. Burns was ever regarded as having lupus. For these reasons, the district court did not err in finding Ms. Burns had not shown she suffered from a disability for the purposes of bringing a Title VII claim.