The ADA, which prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with physical or mental disabilities in all employment settings, will cause police agencies throughout the United States to adjust and, in some instances, completely overhaul their recruitment and selection procedures. Departments that fail to immediately develop and implement changes in their personnel policies by the time the Act becomes applicable will expose themselves to substantial liability. Factors that police departments can use to substantiate that selection criteria are representative of critical job functions and include the employer's judgment about which functions are essential, written job descriptions prepared prior to initiating the selection process, the amount of time devoted to pursuing the various activities or functions, the consequences of not requiring the incumbent to perform the task or function, past work experience of job incumbents, and the current work experience of incumbents in similar jobs. 7 references