Public Radio International (PRI)

Is pregnancy a disability? Jeannette Cox argues that that pregnancy comes with physical limitations on par with conditions now protected under a new amendment to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Cox, an associate professor at the University of Dayton School of Law, says the limitations include the inability to do prolonged lifting, sitting, standing or walking or driving. While some are outraged by the assertion, Cox sees it as a way for women to get more legal protections at their workplace.

Sharon Lerner, author of “The War on Moms: On Life in a Family Unfriendly Nation” and senior fellow at Demos, fears the consequences of labeling pregnancy a disability.