It is one thing to recognize and take action against disability discrimination in the workplace when you are actually in the workplace, but it is something else entirely when you are hoping to get into the workplace. Thanks to the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, it is illegal for employers to refuse to hire someone simply based on a disability. Unfortunately, people are refused employment all the time for many valid reasons, such as being less qualified than other candidates; it can be difficult to prove that you were not hired due to a disability.
Even though it would be nice to assume that this law is obeyed, the sad fact is that employers do sometimes discriminate in their hiring practices. This occurred recently in D.C., where Howard University has agreed to pay $35,000 as part of a settlement for disability discrimination. According to reports, a man applied to be a protective services supervisor with the university, and despite more than 40 years of relevant experience, the man was not hired.
It was alleged that the candidate was passed over because of his diabetes in direct violation of the ADA. In addition to the monetary payout, the university will also be training its hospital’s hiring officials every year in an effort to ensure that such discrimination does not happen in the future.
Even though this case happened in D.C., such cases could easily happen anywhere in the country, including California. While the Bay Area prides itself on employee satisfaction, it is still important to maintain good hiring practices. If you believe that you have been denied employment due to disability discrimination, consider meeting with an attorney to discuss your claims.
Source: Campus Safety, “D.C. Univ. to Pay $35K in Disability Discrimination Lawsuit,” April 23, 2015