The Americans with Disabilities Act protects individuals who are considered to be disabled from being discriminated against by employers for reasons related to their disability. Anyone with a disability is protected by the act, but the ADA does not have a specific list of disabilities that people must have to be protected. Instead, it considers people to be disabled if they are physically or mentally impaired in such a way that limits a major life activity.
Major life activities include seeing, learning, walking and talking, and severe limitations on any of these activities are sufficient to be protected by the act. Common disabilities include being confined to a wheelchair, needing to use a cane or walker to move around, being blind or deaf or having one of a number of mental illnesses.
Organizations with 15 or more employees are required by the ADA to provide equal employment opportunities to individuals who are disabled, including in relation to hiring, promotion, training and salary. Employers are also limited on the type of questions that they can ask an applicant about their disability. If an employer is in violation of the ADA, complaints are generally required to be filed within 180 days with the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
In addition to the fact that employers are not allowed to discriminate against people protected by the ADA in terms of hiring or promotion, organizations are also required to make reasonable accommodations for these individuals. If someone is not able to perform their duties because an employer refuses to adjust them accordingly, a lawyer may be able to inform that person of their rights and assist them in filing a complaint against the employer.
