The ADA protects a person who is regarded (or treated) by an employer as if he or she has a substantially limiting impairment, even if he or she has no impairment or has only a minor impairment, particularly if the employer acts based on myths, fears, or stereotypes about a person's medical condition.
The Rehabilitation Act makes it illegal to discriminate on the basis of disability in programs conducted by Federal agencies, in programs receiving Federal financial assistance, in Federal employment, and in the employment practices of Federal contractors. The standards for determining employment discrimination under the Rehabilitation Act are the same as those used in the Americans with Disabilities Act.
