Harrison v. Spectrum Health Hosps. (Summary)

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

Harrison v. Spectrum Health Hosps., No. 1:09-CV-89 (W.D. Mich. Apr. 29, 2010)

The United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Southern Division held that a hospital did not violate the Americans with Disabilities Act when it terminated a nurse after it provided her with reasonable accommodations.

The nurse worked as a call center nurse and suffered from multiple sclerosis, which led to her blindness. In order to accommodate her disability, the hospital organization she worked for provided her with a video magnifier, a new 21-inch computer monitor, more sufficient lighting, and six weeks to re-acclimate to her position after her leave of absence following an injury. However, the hospital eventually lost confidence in her ability to handle calls in a manner that satisfied the hospital’s safety standards, which resulted in her termination. The court granted the hospital organization summary judgment because it was only required to "provide reasonable accommodations to the nurse, not extraordinary accommodations."