In the three years since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was
enacted, significant developments have occurred in the form of new ad
ministrative and judicial interpretations of the Act. The new guidelin
es and decisions will assist employers in complying with the ambiguous
, and sometimes confusing, provisions of the ADA. Recent developments
in areas such as the definition of a disability and the permissibility
of medical inquiries, along with continuing developments in the areas
of mental disabilities and defining reasonable accommodations, give e
mployees insight into the obligations created by the ADA. These develo
pments are a good starting point to understanding the ADA, but there i
s still a long way to go. This article surveys the recent developments
in the law and examines the considerations that have become important
to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the courts in inte
rpreting the ADA's provisions.