Passed in 1990, the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) forbids employment discrimination against workers with disabilities. Employees with disabilities have a right to request help or changes to the environment of their workplace or a position that allows them to successfully perform his or her job. Under the ADA, employers must provide reasonable accommodations to qualified workers with disabilities, unless doing so would cause an unwarranted adversity.
Qualified workers include those who have the required education, skills, and experience for the job. They must also be able to perform the essential functions of the work with or without an accommodation.
Possible reasonable accommodations that an employer may need to provide in connection with changing the workplace or adjusting how a job is performed may include:
- Restructuring a job
- Making existing facilities accessible to the disabled worker
- Allowing work to be done at home
- Acquiring new equipment or modifying existing equipment
- Changing the tests, policies, or training material
- Reassigning a worker to an open position
- Providing a qualified interpreter or reader to assist the employee
Ethical Business Practices
Disability accommodations are a critical aspect of ethical business practices. The main goal of accommodations is to improve the equity of the hiring process for applicants with disabilities and to help disabled workers perform the necessary functions of the job.
Although many workers with disabilities can apply for and perform jobs without accommodations, some workplace obstacles may keep others from doing jobs that they could do with some type of accommodation. These barriers could include physical obstacles such as inaccessible equipment or facilities, or rules and procedures such as when breaks are taken or how marginal functions are to be conducted.
Requesting Reasonable Accommodations
When requesting accommodations from your employer or prospective employer, consider the following:
- Isolate the essential functions of the job you want
- Write down exactly what job-related limitations your disability imposes and note how your issues can be overcome by accommodations
- Identify potential accommodations and assess how each one would allow you to perform your job
If you have been denied reasonable accommodations or suffered discrimination on the job due to your disability, you are urged to consult an experienced Philadelphia disability discrimination lawyer for help.
Philadelphia Disability Discrimination Lawyers at The Gold Law Firm P.C. Help Employees with Disabilities Who Have Been Denied Reasonable Accommodations
The Philadelphia disability discrimination lawyers at Sidney L. Gold & Associates P.C. fight for fair treatment for those with disabilities. Complete our online contact form or call 215-569-1999 to schedule a free consultation with The Gold Law Firm P.C. today. Our Philadelphia office serves those in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.
