No one enjoys the feeling of being discriminated against. Even in situations when people think they are helping, they may actually be carrying out discriminatory actions. When it comes to employment discrimination, these actions are generally not even attempts to be helpful and can actually prevent a person from obtaining a job or keeping a position.
In particular, New York residents may be interested in disability discrimination in the workplace. While there are federal protections that work to prevent such actions, those regulations do not apply to companies with 14 or fewer employees. Still, even bigger companies that should be bound by federal anti-discrimination laws can still be unfair to disabled individuals. In fact, the unemployment rate for individuals between the ages of 16 and 64 who have a disability is 70 percent.
While the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission did see fewer cases of disability discrimination in 2017, there were still nearly 27,000 claims. During that year, over 5,500 of the disability-related cases turned out in favor of the claimant. Of course, ableism continues to be an issue for workers with visible and non-visible disabilities.
People with disabilities often feel as if they have to work harder to prove themselves, as other individuals may view them as less capable. While it is true that there may be certain tasks that they could not carry out in the same manner as an able-bodied person, many individuals with disabilities may be able to do those tasks with only a few accommodations. If New York residents feel that they have faced employment discrimination based on their disabilities, they may wish to consider whether taking legal action could suit their circumstances.
Source: theladders.com, “I face ableism in the workplace: What I wish my company did differently”, AnnaMarie Houlis, April 16, 2018
