Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Employment Rights of a Disabled Person

Under the law, persons with disability (PWD) are given equal opportunity to engage in gainful employment. The employment rights of disabled persons are guaranteed by various federal and state disability rights laws and one of these includes the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

As discussed in the article, “Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Prohibits Discrimination Against Federal Employees with Disabilities”, posted on August 17, 2008, this act is intended to protect employees with disability from discrimination from work or jobs that are “conducted by federal agencies, or programs receiving federal funds and to be employed in businesses with federal contracts”.

Primarily, this Act was designed to help disabled employees in “preparing and engaging in gainful employment to the extent of their capabilities”. In other words, it helps them to find a suitable job and use their skills in employment as a way to improve and ‘rehabilitate’ their lives.

Under the program, an eligible employee has the option either “to develop his own Individualized Plan for Employment Services, which can be tailored to his specific needs through an Individualized Plan for Employment or request the assistance of a qualified vocational rehabilitation counselor to help him in determining his special needs”.

Other federal disability rights laws are also beneficial to disabled employees. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is another law that protects employees against disability discrimination. Like the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, this law also provides employees with necessary adjustments in the workplace called “reasonable accommodation”, also designed to help disabled workers by making changes or improvements in equipment design and functions.

A disabled worker who experiences discrimination issues or finds difficulty at work regarding his disability or impairment can always seek the assistance of an employment lawyer to resolve the problem.