Employee Rights as a Disabled Person

If you’re disabled, your rights at work are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). This legislation completely changed the way people with disabilities were treated in the workplace, and largely leveled the playing field for everyone. For you to qualify for ADA protection, you must have a qualifying physical or mental limitation that affects major life activities, but you must also be able to perform the duties that are essential to your job. For example, if you use a wheelchair you can still perform the essential duties of a teacher. Or if you are hearing impaired you can still perform the essential duties of an accountant. Individuals in these situations would be covered by the ADA.

Rights under the ADA

Anyone protected by the ADA is entitled to reasonable accommodations that make it easier for the individual to do their job, or that allows them to take advantage of workplace benefits that non-disabled people enjoy.

The accommodations may include:

• Modified training materials
• Flexible work schedules
• Modified or accessible equipment
• Providing interpretation
• Restructuring the job
• Reassigning the disabled individual to another position

For example, it would be reasonable for the teacher who uses a wheelchair to expect a white board or chalkboard that has been adjusted to their height, and the deaf accountant can expect American Sign Language interpretation for company meetings. Both of those accommodations help the employees to do their jobs better without causing undue hardship or financial difficulty for their employer.

If you are disabled, it is important that you understand your rights under the law. A lot of workplaces will not be well-versed on the specifics of your condition, and it is completely appropriate for you to ask for what you need. All of the accommodations you desire may not come to fruition, but reasonable accommodations are protected under federal law. So speak confidently, and be clear about what you need in order to perform your job duties at the level of your peers.