Indiana workers with disabilities are protected from discrimination in the workforce by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Under the ADA, an employer with fifteen or more employees is required to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities. The act covers all phases of employment from the application process to termination, and it is designed to provide the same job opportunities to disabled employees that non-disabled employees enjoy.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, a person is considered disabled if they have a physical or mental impairment that limits a major life activity such as walking or seeing. Examples include a person confined to a wheelchair or a person with limited vision. The disability must limit the person from performing the duties of a broad range of jobs, not just specific ones.
The law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to disabled workers. This might include making physical changes, such as installing a wheelchair ramp, or providing special equipment, such as a device that would help an employee see better. An employer is only required to provide accommodations that are reasonable. For instance, it would not be reasonable to expect a blind person to fly an airplane. An employer is also not required to provide an accommodation that causes an undue hardship.
A person who has been discriminated against at work because of a disability can, in many cases, file a claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In order to do this, evidence will need to be gathered and documentation submitted prior to the meeting with the EEOC. An attorney who has experience in employment law could be helpful in submitting a claim for the disabled client and providing representation throughout the process.
Source: Findlaw, “Disability Discrimination and the Law“, August 28, 2014
