As described in Chapter 4, The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) makes it unlawful to discriminate against a qualified individual. who has a disability. A person is considered qualified for a job if she or he can perform the job’s essential functions, although some accommodation may be necessary on the part of the employer. Job analysis procedures help employers cstablish a job’s essential dunctions and the competencies needed to perform those functions. For example, a hearing-impaired employee may be able to perform the essential functions of a proofreading job, provided the employer makes reasonable accommodations in the procedures used to assign work to the individual. In this example, it would not be legal for the employer to use the hearing disability of applicants ad a basis for refusing to allow them to work as proofreaders.