Appeals Court: ADA Protections Go Beyond Essential Job Functions

An appeals court found that employers have on obligation under the Americans with Disabilities Act not only to provide accommodation to ensure performance of essential job functions, but also to allow impacted employees equal benefits and privileges of employment. At issue: a former assistant attorney general for the Louisiana Department of Justice requesting a free on-site parking space. She was denied, but the appeals court said the parking spot was a reasonable accommodation to make the workspace readily accessible and usable.