Purpose of Qualification Standards Under ADA

As explained by the EEOC, the purpose of these provisions is to ensure that individuals with disabilities are not excluded from job opportunities unless they are actually unable to do the job in question. In order to satisfy this standard, an employer is obligated under the ADA to affirmatively make certain ''that there is a fit between job criteria and an applicant's (or employee's) actual ability to do the job.'' The fact that, in general, the selection criteria accurately measure actual job abilities is not sufficient. The criteria must accurately measure the abilities of the specific job applicant with a disability. In other words, general validation of employment criteria will not fulfill the ADA standard; there must be an individualized assessment.