As a previous post noted, various laws have been passed and amended to help people with disabilities. Workers in Minnesota and elsewhere who live with disabilities may or may not experience issues in the workplace due to their disabilities. However, if a workplace does not have proper accommodations, an employee is facing mistreatment or an employee was wrongfully terminated, the Americans with Disability Act could help.
How does the ADA help those suffering from disability discrimination? One important thing the ADA does today is remove barriers for employees seeking to file a complaint regarding a situation in the workplace. If a workplace is not complying with the rights afforded to workers with disabilities, that employee could file an action to enforce compliance and even provide the employee with compensation for damages suffered.
Roughly 56.7 million, or 19 percent, of the population has some form of disability. Whether the disability is physical or mental, a disabled worker could be covered by the ADA. However, it is important to note that the promises of the ADA cannot be fulfilled unless the employee with disabilities acts on the standards provided by the ADA.
Because of this, employees should understand what rights are afforded to them through the ADA. This could help ensure employees with disabilities not only get equal opportunities in the workplace, but also understand when a situation arises where that person could invoke the rights provided by the ADA. While the ADA has caused many positive changes since it was first enacted 25 years ago, those covered by the ADA might still need to understand more about the Act.
Source: The Conversation, “How can we fulfill the promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act?” Jean Crockett, July 26, 2015
