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Job Supports and Accommodations

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    Job Supports and Accommodations

    Americans with Disabilities Act

    The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a civil rights law that makes it illegal to discriminate against (treat unfairly or unequally) people with disabilities. It guarantees that disabled people have equal access to: employment; public services like transportation and voting; public places like restaurants, stores, hotels, airports, and public buildings; and communication (telephone or text). The goal of the ADA is for everyone with a disability to be able to live a life of equality.

    The first section of the ADA (often called Title I) applies to employment. It makes it illegal to discriminate against qualified job seekers or employees with disabilities, and requires most employers to supply reasonable accommodations to job seekers and employees with disabilities, unless the accommodation would cause an undue hardship to the business. The law applies to all stages of employment, including the job application process, hiring, firing, advancement, compensation, job training, and work-related events. In Alaska, the Alaska Human Rights Law also protects people with disabilities.

    This article will explain the process of making sure your needs are met and your rights are respected when you look for a job, apply for a job, or get a job. This process may include disclosing your disability, requesting reasonable accommodations, negotiating your reasonable accommodations, and taking action if you feel discriminated against.

    Not all employers are covered by these laws, but most are

    The ADA and the Alaska Human Rights Law only cover employers with 15 or more employees. These laws apply to private employers, state and local governments, and employment agencies. They do not apply to tax-exempt private membership clubs or the federal government. However, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is another law that is almost identical to the ADA and does apply to federal agencies.

    The bottom line: If you work for an employer with 15 or more employees, your job is probably protected by one of these laws. If your employer has fewer than 15 employees, you may still be protected by these laws in some ways, depending on your situation.

    Agencies That Can Help You

    The Disability Law Center of Alaska offers services to protect the civil rights of people with disabilities in Alaska. To ask for help, fill out the online intake form, or call 1-907-565-1002 in Anchorage or 1-800-478-1234 statewide. (If you call, you will be asked to leave a voicemail and an advocate will return your phone call.)

    The Northwest ADA Center offers ADA information and training in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. It has an online Toolkit for People with Disabilities with fact sheets and other materials on a variety of topics, including ADA accommodations. For answers to ADA-related questions and concerns, call 1-800-949-4232 or email nwadactr@uw.edu.

    The ADA National Network explains the different sections of the ADA and answers Frequently Asked Questions About the ADA.

    ADA.gov gives an Introduction to the ADA, as well as other disability-related topics.

    Discrimination

    If you are treated unequally or worse than other people because of your disability, you are being discriminated against. Here are a few examples of how you could be discriminated against at your job:

    • You are denied a job or a promotion because of a disability; or you are paid less than other nondisabled coworkers doing the same or similar work.
    • Your employer uses a practice or system that means that you or others with similar disabilities can’t get jobs or opportunities because of your disabilities, and the practice or system is not justified by the needs of the business.
    • You were denied a reasonable accommodation that was necessary to perform your job because the employer did not want to spend money on accommodations.
    • You face coercion (which means forcing you to do something against your will), intimidation (which means frightening or bullying you), or interference (which means hindering you) from enjoying the same privileges and benefits of employment because you asked for your rights under the ADA or participated in the procedures under the ADA for investigating and addressing discrimination.

    If you believe that you have been discriminated against because of your disability, you can file a complaint with the:

    You must file your complaint within 300 days of the date the discrimination took place.

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