As a worker with a disability, it is important to fully understand your rights. The Americans With Disabilities Act is in place for a reason, as it is meant to protect the many disabled individuals who are part of America’s workforce.
Employers have a responsibility to provide reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities. This is something that the company and employee work out, with each side obligated to do whatever they can to come to a mutually agreed upon solution.
A reasonable accommodation could include anything from the implementation of special equipment to the adjustment of a work schedule.
Just because a disability is difficult for the company to pinpoint does not mean it doesn’t exist. All disabilities, regardless of what it may be, are covered by state and federal laws. Under the Americans With Disabilities Act, for example, a disabled person is defined as somebody who has a mental or physical impairment that limits activity, or a person who has a history of this type of impairment.
Some companies understand the importance of reasonable accommodations, ensuring that they do whatever it takes to make a disabled worker comfortable with her or her work environment and responsibilities. Then there are those who don’t believe they are required to make any changes.
If you or a loved one wants to learn more about disability discrimination, reasonable accommodations or the Americans With Disabilities Act, read through the many pages of our website devoted to these subjects. Getting started is as simple as navigating to and reading through our “Disability and Handicap Discrimination” webpage.
