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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome not a Disability
An Anonymous Coward writes: "It turns out that the Supreme Court of the United States doesn't think Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a real disability. See here for details." Read the summary or the whole opinion. In a nutshell: just because a woman was sufficiently disabled that she couldn't perform her job due to carpal-tunnel, doesn't mean she was sufficiently disabled to be considered disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Everyone who has that nagging pain in your wrists should probably read this decision.
See, it's not only the 'liberal' judges who believe in judicial activism. If my reading of the summary (linked above) is correct, the Supreme Court misinterpreted the ADA in a rather severe way. This law was meant to protect and help people who have difficulty performing their job. But the Supreme Court demanded a higher standard, requiring that the person have difficulty not only at work but in other areas. Sounds like a crock of it to me...
Now, since I am too lazy to read the history, what exactly was Toyota suing for? What sort of accomadations was the woman seeking?
And another point: should their be an OSHA investigation? I know as part of our company training, protecting employees from CTS and other RSI's is largely the responsibility of the employer. Failure to provide keyboards, desks, etc. that ameliorate these conditions is an OSHA violation. (And, yes, much of OSHA is big brotherism at its worst. I'm not saying, in this case, whether or not OSHA's decisions are correct, but that it seems Toyota contributed to this woman's condition).
And I tell you what: there's about five minutes worth of my shower that gets pretty darned impaired if my wrists are flaring up too badly. If that doesn't count as a disability, what does?
(Yup, think that covers it all: troll, insightful, humourous, Oh, need a flame: You suck, your momma sucks, your computer sucks, your OS sucks, and your editor sucks)
Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
Maybe you should go out and shovel concrete, fix steel, pick potatoes or work on a trawler for 10-12 hours/day, 6 days/week, and then see if your hands hurt.
It just cracks me up to see young no-nothing pups (whose most strenous labour every day is scratching the back of their ballbag first thing in the morning) cry and whinge about how tough it is to bash a keyboard in a nice comfortable office all day.
You miserable scrotes dunno how f*cking easy your lives are.
Curmudgeon
Finally, its about time some sense comes to the supreme court. almost all people who work out regularly NEVER get CTS, and what is the main cause of CTS? Obesity, I am done paying for fat lazy people.