The 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act reflected a generous national impulse to provide the most opportunity to all Americans. But the law has also sometimes led to overzealous interpretations and court suits that can defy common sense—and endanger the broader public.
A case in point is last week’s ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that United Parcel Service has violated federal law by banning drivers who are deaf. While acknowledging that federal law requires drivers of trucks heavier than 10,000 pounds to be able to hear, a three-judge panel of the oft-overruled court ruled that UPS was obliged to prove that allowing the deaf to drive one of its ubiquitous brown vehicles would be unsafe.
Next thing you know they’ll be suing the NFL for refusing to hire blind referees.
Not that I don’t wonder about some of the officials anyway…