The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) helps protect people with disabling medical conditions from discrimination in education, employment, access to public facilities and housing. Unfortunately, despite the ADA being decades old, American society still does not embrace the idea of prioritizing accessibility.
Many workers, students and business patrons find themselves struggling to access spaces or services that other people use with ease. In theory, the ADA protects against such issues by granting the right to equal access. In reality, the ADA is only an effective protection when people know their rights and assert them.
Workplace ADA violations are common and can be economically devastating for the people facing discrimination solely because of their medical conditions. What are some of the more common ways that businesses violate the ADA?
1. They won’t hire or promote those with medical conditions
Disabling medical conditions range from degenerative neurological conditions to amputations and similar physical injuries that limit someone’s functions.
Although the ADA and other federal laws theoretically protect workers from discrimination based on disabling medical conditions, many companies or professionals at modern businesses still factor in someone’s wheelchair or medical needs when making decisions about who to promote, hire or fire.
If a company rescinded your job offer after you showed up using mobility assistance tools at the interview, it could be a sign that their decision was discriminatory.
2. They won’t accommodate workers who need support
One of the most important rules in the ADA is the requirement for employers to provide reasonable accommodations to help workers move into a new position or maintain their careers after a medical incident.
Plenty of professionals could continue working or accept a job if the company would provide certain forms of assistive technology, modify the job responsibilities or allow remote work. Unfortunately, there are some companies that will claim that even the most basic and low-cost of accommodations are an unreasonable hardship and will therefore refuse to work with someone who asks for support.
Those who believe they have experienced an ADA violation may have grounds to bring a claim against the company involved. Learning more about disability discrimination and your rights can help you hold businesses accountable for violating federal statutes.