Dealing with Discrimination

Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits private employers, state and local governments, employment agencies and labor unions from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities. Hopefully, you will never have to deal with discrimination in an interview. But if you do, here are a few things to remember.

Handle the situation with a positive attitude.

Be an effective self-advocate.

Try to record or write down as much about the situation that you can. (Company name, address and phone number, interviewer’s name, date, time, and the discriminating act)

Report the information to The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). A charge may be filed in person or by mail. To be automatically connected to the nearest EEOC office, call 1-800- 669-4000 (TTY: 1-800-669-6820).

If at First You Don’t Succeed
You may not get the job(s) that you apply for, but..

Keep plugging away and try not to get discouraged.

Try to get feedback from employers as to why you weren’t selected for the position.

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Reasonable Accommodations

Reasonable accommodations are supports you need to complete your essential job functions. They are provided for under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and are paid for by the employer. It is best to wait until the job is offered and/or accepted before requesting accommodations.

Remember
It’s your responsibility to request reasonable accommodations! An employer has no responsibility to offer an un-requested accommodation.

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Accommodations may include:

• Making the facilities used by employees structurally accessible to, and usable by, people with disabilities.

• Restructuring jobs.

• Modifying work schedules.

• Reassigning a person with a disability to an equivalent job when one becomes available.

• Buying or modifying equipment or devices so that they can be used by people with disabilities.

• Providing appropriate adjustment or modification of exams, training materials or policies.

• Providing readers for the blind or interpreters for the deaf.

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