Major Life Activities

Overview
The ADAAA broadened what counts as a major life activity. The category now includes routine activities like walking and hearing, as well as major bodily functions like the immune system and cell growth.

Examples of major life activities

• Walking, seeing, hearing, and speaking
• Caring for oneself
• Breathing, eating, standing, lifting, sitting
• Performing manual tasks
• Learning, thinking, reading, concentrating
• Communicating, interacting with others
• Working

Major bodily functions
Major life activities also include the operation of major bodily functions, such as:

• Immune system
• Special sense organs and skin
• Normal cell growth
• Digestive, bladder, and bowel functions
• Genitourinary function
• Neurological and brain function
• Respiratory, circulatory, and cardiovascular function
• Endocrine, lymphatic, hemic, musculoskeletal, and reproductive functions

The operation of an individual organ within a body system also counts.

Why this matters
Before the ADAAA, conditions like gastrointestinal disorders and cancer were sometimes excluded because they affected bodily systems more than everyday activities like walking or talking. The ADAAA made clear that major bodily functions are major life activities, so those conditions are now more clearly covered.

Key sources

• 42 U.S.C. § 12102(2) (major life activities)
• 29 CFR § 1630.2(i) (EEOC regulations)