Classification, Social Contracts, Obligations, Civil Rights, and the Supreme Court

This article analyzes the 1999 decision of the United States Supreme Court, Sutton v. United Air Lines, by asking four questions and showing how the majority of the Court answered them. It then sets out the significance for people with disabilities, including especially students covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and the antidiscrimination provisions (Section 504) of the Rehabilitation Act. It also sets out the implications of the decision for special and general educators as they engage in Individualized Education Program planning with students and their parents.