Introduction Over the past several decades, individuals with disabilities have fought for equal rights. Within today’s society the disabled population makes up 17.9% of the workforce, compared to 63.7% of the non-disabled population within the workforce. This research paper will address the challenges of diversity presented by individuals with disabilities the in the workplace. The increasing challenge for disabled individuals in the workforce continues to transpire; as employer’s anxiety towards individual with disabilities impedes their ability to attain employment. More than 20 years ago, the Americans With Disabilities Act was established. The act became constitutional to protect the disabled population, due to the discriminatory actions …show more content…
Individuals with disabilities continue to face increasing challenges within the workforce. The recession of the 20th Century has also played a critical factor regarding the rates of disabled individuals employed. The disabled population lost their jobs 5 times faster than non-disabled employees, during the beginning of this worldwide recession. Statistics conveyed that 25% of the disabled populations are employed, whereas 75% are unemployed (Ruderman, 2013). The 75% of disabled unemployed individuals seek employment continuously. Though the disabled population seems to be the targeted population within the workforce’s employment layoffs; these individuals have advancing skills and experience, often presenting higher knowledge than the non-disabled …show more content…
Although, many employer’s anxiety towards individual with disabilities impedes their ability to attain employment. However, as many companies continue to avoid employing individuals with disabilities; there are numerous companies employing disabled candidates; revealing their benefits gained from hiring these disabled individuals. Many view it is unlawful to refuse diversity within a workplace, yet many employers find ways around legal laws and policies. Nevertheless, for companies that continue to violate federal laws; they fear the company will experience intensive payouts when employing disabled
Moran, John Jude. "Disability Discrimination." Employment Law: New Challenges in the Business Environment. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2014. 413-14. Print.
The movement continues to make great strides towards the empowerment and self determination ("Disability rights movement," 2005, p. 3). On the other hand, it has not completely broken down barriers that continue to create the dynamics of oppression among such individuals. For instance, WIOA can be harmful to individuals with disabilities because there are still societal prejudices and biases associated with the stereotypical portrayal of people with disabilities and WIOA has played a role in it. For example, WIOA networks with employers to hire individual’s with disabilities and place them in conventional settings, where they work with others who have disabilities, for example, Walgreen’s and in fact, these participating organizations have also increased their pay. In my opinion, individual’s with disabilities should be able to work with individuals who are not disabled, as well. Furthermore, pay for those individuals who are still considered to be in “sheltered” work programs have not received an increase in pay. Additionally, according to my studies, in 2012, less than 30 percent of Florida’s civilians with disabilities between age 18-64 living in the community were employed. There is a greater priority focused on young people who are disabled. This is an additional issue in my opinion which can be considered discrimination, because, the focus leaves out middle aged individuals as well as,
President Richard Nixon signed the bill into law on September 26, 1973. This act was designed to protect the rights of persons with disabilities. Proceeding the signing of the bill, a federal campaign was launched to eliminate discrimination against people with disabilities. Funding was authorized through this act for states to provide rehabilitation services like evaluation, counseling, training, placement, and rehabilitation technology services to qualified persons. The Rehabilitation Act is far from simple, there are five titles under this act and each title contains different sections.
Most afflicted adults were stored away in the back rooms of houses, and children with mental disabilities were given up into adoption or aborted. In addition, Hahn reiterates that legislative polices have pronounced people with disabilities as unfit for society, unable to be hired to do work. People with disabilities are in no way “unemployed” because they can not do work. Hahn’s article, “Disability and the Urban Environment: A Perspective on Los Angeles,” which was published in 1986 is outdated, and the thoughts should be reconsidered. In the Disability and Discrimination Act of 1995 and 2005, it lays out policies that ban employers from discriminating against disabled people, when hiring (The Disability and Discrimination Act). It aims to ensure equal opportunity and a level of fairness in the workplace. Since 1986, the social structure of society has adapted and evolved over time. Nondisabled people are more liberal, and they are accepting; however, there still remains a level of discrimination. Even though they are more aware of the inequalities that exist today, people look down on the disabled population. As a society we need to make drastic improvements, in terms of attitudes. Disability should be viewed in a positive light: instead of a burden, disabled people should be part of the community. Disabled people should not have to deal with the social stigma of being different; it is part of what makes them stronger and more will
"The Americans With Disabilities Act is one of the most significant laws in American History. The preamble to the law states that it covers 43,000,000 Americans."(Frierson, p.3) Before the Americans With Disabilities Act(A.D.A.) was passed, employers were able to deny employment to a disabled worker, simply because he or she was disabled. With no other reason other than the persons physical disability were they turned away or released from a job. The Americans With Disabilities Act prevented this type of discrimination by establishing rules and regulations designed to protect persons with physical disabilities. With a workforce made up of 43,000,000 people, it is impossible to ignore the impact of these people. The Americans With Disabilities Act not only opened the door for millions of Americans to get back into the workplace, it is paving the road for new facilities in the workplace, new training programs and creating jobs designed for a disabled society.
People with disabilities have become an integral part of the workforce. The ADA forbids discrimination against people with disabilities when recruiting, hiring, training, and compensating employees (Sotoa & Kleiner, 2013). The ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, transportation, public accommodation, communications, and governmental and establishes requirements for telecommunications relay services (activities (Stryker, R. (2013). Employers are not allowed to ask employees if they have a disability. The employers are not allowed to ask employees with disabilities to undergo a medical exam before an offer of employment unless all applicants are required to take the same exam (Kaye, Jans, & Jones, 2011). It is mandatory for organizations to make necessary accommodations for the employee’s disabilities unless it would create an undue hardship to the organization. However, new laws were passed stating that if accommodations would be too burdensome, and no other solutions can be found for the job, the disable person must be given another vacant job (Sotoa & Kleiner, 2013). The requirements for employers under ADA are very strict and organizations must work diligently to provide the needs of the employees with disabilities to comply with the law.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is one of the most significant laws in American History. Before the ADA was passed, employers were able to deny employment to a disabled worker, simply because he or she was disabled. With no other reason other than the person's physical disability, they were turned away or released from a job. The ADA gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. The act guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, State and local government services, and telecommunications. The ADA not only opened the door for millions of Americans to get back into the workplace, it paved the road for new facilities in the workplace, new training programs, and created jobs designed for a disabled society (Frierson, 1990). This paper will discuss disabilities covered by the ADA, reasonable accommodations employers must take to accommodate individuals with disabilities, and the actions employers can take when considering applicants who have disabilities.
Going forward, in 1990, Congress passed The Americans With Disabilities Act (The ADA), and with this, various new protections for employees with qualifying disabilities became law (this law was amended in 2008, and those changes went into effect January 1, 2009). The Mission of the ADA is to “assure equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency to persons with disabilities” (42 U.S.C. § 12101(a)(8)). The goal of the ADA is to eliminate discrimination and to remove the physical barriers that impede disabled Americans from enjoying similar benefits of their non-disabled peers in the workplace, while shopping, in restaurants, and other places of public gathering.
Generally when someone begins speaking about diversity in the workplace, thoughts of Affirmative Action, racial diversity, or even sexual equality are usually foremost in our thoughts. However, diversity in the workplace really is so much more than this, we must also consider aging workers, handicapped workers, those with alternative lifestyles, and even physical traits to name others (For the sake of simplification, throughout this paper these will usually be included in the term, minorities). Gender, racial, and ethnic diversity means different things to different people. Some believe that diversity is about quotas, and affirmative action.
The Americans with Disability Act of 1990 was passed to remove discriminatory barriers against qualified individuals with disabilities. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of real or perceived physical or mental disabilities. Many observers have termed it as the most important legislation against discrimination after the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In fact, this legislation is seen as the outcome of that historic legislation. However, its impact and implications has proven to be more controversial than the highly regarded Civil Rights Act.
The purpose of The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 was to protect the civil rights of disabled Americans, as well as put an end to discrimination, and to make adjustments to better accommodate the disabled. When presented to Congress, the Act surpassed party lines and gained support and popularity very quickly. While in theory the ADA seems revolutionary and helpful; in practice it presents the disabled with numerous problems, most of these arise in the form of red tape.
Living in a country where it was founded by immigrants, diversity is everywhere you go especially in the workplace. There are many types of diversity; ethnicity, gender, religion and age just to name a few. Working in a diverse organization it can give you a taste of the real world, and what you will deal with wherever you go. There is so much diversity in the world today so it is a benefit to experience it in the workplace as well. You are given the chance to learn so many things from different cultures, why wouldn't you want to work in a diverse organization?
The purpose of the program was to determine factors that affect students with disabilities ability to obtain jobs, and classify the types of jobs acquired. The study also indication “how much gender and the type of disability affects employment opportunities” (Fabian et al., 2007, p. 130). According to an article published by the National Council on Disability, entitled “Work- force infrastructure in...
In the workplace, it is common to encounter individuals of different cultures, ethnicities, and genders. This diversity can either lead to an introduction of new work methods, or it can lead to conflict between coworkers. In order to avoid conflict, and have all employees work as a cohesive team, managers must educate themselves, and their employees on the topic of cultural diversity. In order for your practices to be considered effective, you must not only respect and recognize an employee’s diversity, you must use their difference to benefit them.
Every day in America, a woman loses a job to a man, a homosexual high school student suffers from harassment, and someone with a physical or mental disability is looked down upon. People with disabilities make up the world’s largest and most disadvantaged minority, with about 56.7 million people living with disabilities in the United States today (Barlow). In every region of the country, people with disabilities often live on the margins of society, deprived of some of life’s fundamental experiences. They have little hope of inclusion within education, getting a job, or having their own home (Cox). Everyone deserves a fair chance to succeed in life, but discrimination is limiting opportunities and treating people badly because of their disability.