Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. v. Williams

Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. v. Williams was a U.S. Supreme Court case decided in 2001 that addressed the definition of disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The case involved an autoworker with carpal tunnel syndrome who claimed her condition qualified her as disabled under the ADA. The Supreme Court ruled against her, stating that a diagnosis alone does not determine if an individual has a disability that substantially limits a major life activity. The Court's decision, written by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, emphasized that the severity and duration of the impairment's effects are crucial in determining disability status under the ADA. This ruling was later clarified and expanded by the ADA Amendments Act in 2008, which broadened the definition of "major life activity" and rejected interpretations that limited who is considered disabled.1