798
Opinion of the Court
the recipient's success under the ADA. Nonetheless, an ADA plaintiff cannot simply ignore her SSDI contention that she was too disabled to work. To survive a defendant's motion for summary judgment, she must explain why that SSDI contention is consistent with her ADA claim that she could "perform the essential functions" of her previous job, at least with "reasonable accommodation."
I
After suffering a disabling stroke and losing her job, Carolyn Cleveland sought and obtained SSDI benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). She has also brought this ADA suit in which she claims that her former employer, Policy Management Systems Corporation, discriminated against her on account of her disability. The two claims developed in the following way:
August 1993: Cleveland began work at Policy Management Systems. Her job required her to perform background checks on prospective employees of Policy Management System's clients.
January 7, 1994: Cleveland suffered a stroke, which damaged her concentration, memory, and language skills.
January 28, 1994: Cleveland filed an SSDI application in which she stated that she was "disabled" and "unable to work." App. 21.
April 11, 1994: Cleveland's condition having improved, she returned to work with Policy Management Systems. She reported that fact to the SSA two weeks later. July 11, 1994: Noting that Cleveland had returned to work, the SSA denied her SSDI application.
July 15, 1994: Policy Management Systems fired Cleveland.
September 14, 1994: Cleveland asked the SSA to reconsider its July 11th SSDI denial. In doing so, she said:
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