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Orange County Personnel Rules and Regulations Manual Issue Date: 6/22/2011 5
<br />Z. "Physical or mental impairment": A physical or mental disorder, illness, or
<br />condition. Any physiological disorder or condition, cosmetic disfigurement, or
<br />anatomical loss affecting one or more body systems; such as neurological,
<br />musculoskeletal, special sense organs, respiratory (including speech organs),
<br />cardiovascular, reproductive, digestive, genitourinary, immune, circulatory, hemic,
<br />lymphatic, skin, and endocrine. They also cover any mental or psychological
<br />disorder, such as intellectual disability (formerly termed mental retardation), organic
<br />brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, and specific learning disabilities.
<br />"Major life activities": The regulations provide anon-exhaustive list of examples of
<br />major life activities: caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing,
<br />eating, sleeping, walking, standing, sitting, reaching, lifting, bending, speaking,
<br />breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, interacting with
<br />others, and working. The regulations also state that major life activities include the
<br />operation of major bodily functions, including functions of the immune system,
<br />special sense organs and skin, normal cell growth, digestive, genitourinary, bowel,
<br />bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, cardiovascular, endocrine,
<br />hemic, lymphatic, musculoskeletal, and reproductive functions. The regulations also
<br />state that major bodily functions include the operation of an individual organ within a
<br />body system (e.g., the operation of the kidney, liver, or pancreas).
<br />4. "Record of': An individual who does not currently have a substantially limiting
<br />impairment but who had one in the past meets this definition of "disability." An
<br />individual also can meet the "record of definition of disability if she was once
<br />misclassified as having a substantially limiting impairment (e.g., someone
<br />erroneously deemed to have had a learning disability but who did not).
<br />5. "Regarded as": An employer "regards" an individual as having a disability if it takes
<br />an action prohibited by the ADA (e.g., failure to hire, termination,. or demotion)
<br />based on an individual's impairment or on an impairment the employer believes the
<br />individual has, unless the impairment is both transitory (lasting or expected to last for
<br />six months or less) and minor.
<br />C. Obligations Under the ADAAA
<br />1. Prohibition of Employment Discrimination
<br />Discrimination based on a person's disability with respect to any term, condition, or
<br />privilege of employment, including hiring, is prohibited under the ADAAA. Included
<br />under this would be the following:
<br />a. Classifying applicants or employees with disabilities in any way that adversely
<br />affects their opportunities or status.
<br />b. Participating in any arrangement with another organization that has the effect of
<br />discriminating against applicants or employees with disabilities. This would
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