12.5 ADA-Qualified Individual refers to individuals with disabilities who meet certain criteria established by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These individuals must have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities and must also have a record of such an impairment or be regarded as having an impairment. The ADA-qualified individual designation can be applied to two types of individuals: 1. Those with an actual disability, meaning that the individual has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working. 2. Those regarded as having a disability, meaning that the individual has a physical or mental impairment that does not substantially limit major life activities but is perceived by other individuals or entities as having such an impairment. The designation of a 12.5 ADA-qualified individual allows employers to provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities in order to enable them to perform essential job functions.