Essential Life Activity is a term in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 that refers to the severity of the disability required to qualify for protection under the law. In order for a person to be considered disabled for the purposes of the law, it is necessary to significantly restrict his main life activity. Activities considered essential include, but are not limited to, self-care, manual work, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working.