Document Type
Honors Project
Abstract
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has faced significant judicial and regulatory backlash, even after the passage of the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA). Examining the legislative histories and trends in ADA litigation, I argue that this backlash arises from conflicts between the medical and social models of disability embedded in both laws. Compromises made during both legislative processes resulted in a law that accommodates multiple conceptions of disability, allowing courts to reshape the law according to their own views. Ultimately, the ADA remains a site of contestation as its internal contradictions have gone unresolved.
Recommended Citation
Connolly, Bess, "Backlash and the ADA: Conflicting Constructions of Disability in U.S. Policy" (2025). Political Science Honors Projects. 111.
https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/poli_honors/111
Included in
Disability Law Commons, Disability Studies Commons, Legal Studies Commons, Political Science Commons
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