The Court returned the case to the Sixth Circuit for an evaluation of the evidence as to whether the plaintiffs condition substantially limited her ability to perform manual tasks of central importance to daily life, such as household chores, bathing, and brushing ones teeth. The Supreme Court agreed with the Departments brief that the Sixth Circuit was wrong to limit its analysis to only the manual tasks associated with a particular assembly line job.

The Supreme Court held that in order to substantially limit the major life activity of performing manual tasks, an impairment must, on a long-term basis, prevent or severely restrict a person from performing activities that are of central importance to most peoples daily lives. Despite her condition she was able to perform other work-related manual tasks as well as certain manual tasks unrelated to work, such as brushing her teeth, laundering, and some driving. The worker alleged that Toyota refused to reassign her to her previous job after her new job exacerbated her condition by requiring her to grip a block of wood and to keep her hands and arms around shoulder height repetitively over several hours. The Sixth Circuit had ruled that the worker was a person with a disability because her carpal tunnel syndrome and tendinitis in her hands, arms, shoulders, and neck made her unable to perform a particular assembly line job. Court of Appeals for the Circuit that an auto worker was substantially limited in the major life activity of performing manual tasks. Williams disagreed with a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court Asks Sixth Circuit to Take Another Look at Auto Workers Claim - The Supreme Court in Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. Under title III the Department may also obtain civil penalties of up to $55,000 for the first violation and $110,000 for any subsequent violation. LitigationThe Department may file lawsuits in Federal court to enforce the ADA and may obtain court orders including compensatory damages and back pay to remedy discrimination. Under general rules governing lawsuits brought by the Federal Government, the Department of Justice may not file a lawsuit unless it has first unsuccessfully attempted to settle the dispute through negotiations. Through lawsuits and both formal and informal settlement agreements, the Department has achieved greater access for individuals with disabilities in hundreds of cases. Title III: Public accommodations and commercial facilities I. Title II: Programs, services, and activities of State and local government Title I: Employment practices by units of State and local government

The Department of Justice enforces the ADAs requirements in three areas. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a comprehensive civil rights law for people with disabilities.

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