Americans with disabilities are also offered a form of protection under Affirmative Action laws. In the past society seemed to isolate and segregate people with disabilities. Employers would often overlook a person in a wheelchair for a person that was more mobile purely because they weren't sure how that would impact their environment. The American Disabilities Act is a precedent that society must uphold. http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/ts_search.pl?title=42&sec=12101 I found that Congress felt that this type of discrimination was not to be tolerated. Everyone has the right to equal treatment under the Constitution.