Even The Odds In Your Fight For Employee Rights
Photo of American flag for Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labour Day

Workers with disabilities still face workplace discrimination

On Behalf of | Nov 11, 2020 | Workplace Disability Discrimination

Living with a disability might have its own challenges, but maintaining employment should not have to be one. The Americans with Disabilities Act protects workers with disabilities from unfair treatment in the workplace — or at least it is supposed to. Despite the protections afforded by the ADA, workers with disabilities in Florida still face plenty of problems at work.

Workers with hearing and vision impairments are protected at work by the ADA. However, in a list of the top types of workplace discrimination, hearing and vision discrimination rank at numbers 19 and 27, respectively. Regardless of their innate abilities to hear or see, workplaces are supposed to provide reasonable accommodations for all workers. This includes modifying things like testing, job training and website accessibility when necessary.

Discrimination for having a record of disability is also a problem, coming in at number 13 on that same list. This means that workers who have records of physical or mental impairments that limited their activities in the past may still face unfair treatment even if this is no longer the case. Simply being regarded as having a disability despite having no record as such can lead to discrimination.

Florida employers should be prepared to provide reasonable accommodations to workers of all backgrounds and abilities, but many do not. Instead, these employers may pass over workers with disabilities for promotions, raises or other work opportunities. Some simply refuse to hire these men and women in the first place. Although it may feel overwhelming at first, pursuing a workplace discrimination claim against an employer can be an effective way to help protect other workers while also securing compensation for one’s own damages.