Thomas M. Wilde, Shareholder and Chair of Vedder Price’s Labor and Employment Practice group, was quoted in a recent Business Insurance article, “ADA Amendment Rules May Lead to More Claims.”

The article describes the final rules of the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA), which were released by the EEOC last week. According to the article, the final regulations now interpret the definition of the term "disability" more broadly.

Wilde commented on this new set of rules, saying that “it’s now very important that employers work through the accommodation process with the employee. They will have to work to make accommodations to help that person perform the key functions of their job.”

Wilde and other attorneys interviewed for the article agree that accommodation is not the sole responsibility of the employer, and that the ADAAA provides for an interactive process between the employer and employee. Although the ADAAA has been in place since fall 2008, these final regulations will not go into effect until May 24, 2011.

Source: Business Insurance, April 4, 2011.