Overview

The Face of Disability in the WorkforceAmericans with Disabilities Act

What is a DisabilityEmployer requirements under ADA

Rehab. Act of 1973, Section 503VEVRAAPA. Human Relations Act

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H.W. Bush. The ADA is one of America's most comprehensive pieces of civil rights legislation that prohibits discrimination and guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to participate in the mainstream of American life ‐‐ to enjoy employment opportunities, to purchase goods and services, and to participate in State and local government programs and services. 

ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008. Its purpose is to broaden the definition of disability, which had been narrowed by U.S. Supreme Court decisions.

Federal law that prohibits covered entities from discriminating against qualified individuals on the basis of disability, in all employment practices, and during all stages of employment

Requires reasonable accommodation for known disability of a qualified applicant or employee, barring undue hardship

Five Titles of the ADA

Title I.  EmploymentProhibits disability discrimination in all employment processes

Title 2.  Accessibility in public entitiesPhysical and program accessibility in state/local govt. entities 

Title 3.  Accessibility in businessesPhysical and program accessibility in restaurants, hotels, stores, places of business

Title 4. Telecommunications Telephone and communications systems for the public

Title 5.  Miscellaneous Protection from retaliation

Title I – Employment•Helps people with disabilities access the same employment opportunities and benefits available to people without disabilities.

•Applies to employers with 15 or more employees., except…..

•Requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants or employees. A “reasonable accommodation” is a change that accommodates employees with disabilities so they can do the job without causing the employer “undue hardship” (too much difficulty or expense).

•Defines disability, establishes guidelines for the reasonable accommodation process, and addresses medical examinations and inquiries.

•Regulated and enforced by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/disability.cfm

Applies to applicants or employees who:

◦ Have a disability

◦ Have a record of having a disability

◦ Are regarded as having a disability 

Do you have a disability under the law?

What is a “disability?” 

…A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life 

activities* 

Substantially Limits Legal Definition

Substantially limits is defined as: "(i) [u]nable to perform a major life activity that the average person in the general population can perform; or (ii) [s]ignificantly restricted as to the condition, manner or duration under which an individual can perform a particular major life activity as compared to the average person in the general population." 

Cato v. First Fed. Cmty. Bank, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 103469, 14‐15 (E.D. Tex. Nov. 5, 2009)

A Major Life Activities is 

What is the expanded definition of “major life activities” under the ADAAA?Under the ADAAA, “major life activities” is expanded to include “major bodily functions.” 

Major life activities include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working.

•Major Bodily Functions include, but are not limited to, functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions.

What does a "record of" a disability mean?

“Record of” means that the person has a history of, or has been misclassified as having, a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, even though the person does not currently have a disability.

For example, a person who undergoes treatment for cancer then returns to work. Although the cancer may be in remission, they have a record of having had it.

Limitations That Are Episodic or in Remission Will Be Considered As If Active

The fact that a person’s limitations go into remission or come and go is no longer relevant to determining whether the impairment substantially limits a major life activity. For example, a person with post-traumatic stress disorder who experiences intermittent flashbacks to traumatic events can be substantially limited in brain function and thinking based on limitations during the flashbacks.

Other examples of conditions that may be episodic or go into remission include: epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, cancer, hypertension, diabetes, asthma, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

•One is unable to “see” the disability.

•There are no “visible” supports to indicate a disability such as canes, wheelchairs, use or sign language used.

•It is a permanent disability that they cope with on a daily basis.

•The disability may be managed through medication or behavior such as in the case of diabetes, asthma, epilepsy or psychiatric disorders.

•It needs to be a documented disability in order to receive reasonable accommodations under the ADA.

•The person is in some kind of physical or emotional pain.

Invisible Disabilities

Types of Invisible Disabilities

•Chronic Pain: A variety of conditions may cause chronic pain. A few of those reasons may be back problems, bone disease, physical injuries, and any number of other reasons. Chronic pain may not be noticeable to people who do not understand the victims specific medical condition.•Chronic Fatigue: This type of disability refers to an individual who constantly feels tired. This can be extremely debilitating and affect every aspect of a persons every day life.•Mental Illness: There are many mental illnesses that do qualify for disability benefits. Some examples are depression, attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia, agoraphobia, and many others. These diseases can also be completely debilitating to the victim, and can make performing everyday tasks extremely difficult, if not impossible.•Chronic Dizziness: Often associated with problems of the inner ear, chronic dizziness can lead to impairment when walking, driving, working, sleeping, and other common tasks.

What Are Some Common Hidden Disabilities?

•Psychiatric Disabilities—Examples include major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc.

•Traumatic Brain Injury•Epilepsy•HIV/AIDS•Diabetes•Chronic Fatigue Syndrome•Cystic Fibrosis•Attention Deficit-Disorder or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder(ADD/ADHD)•Learning Disabilities (LD)

•Medical conditions associated with hidden disabilities. Examples include short or long term, stable or progress, constant or unpredictable and fluctuating, controlled by medication and untreatable.

The ADA applies to all aspects of the employment relationship, including the recruitment and selection process. 

You should be aware of the ADA’s impact on each of the following areas: • Advertising • Applications • Job Descriptions • Interviews • Testing • Medical Exams

Qualified Individual with a Disability 

A “qualified” individual with a disability can

(1) satisfy the requisite skill, experience, education and other job‐related requirementsand

(2) perform the essential functions of a position with or without reasonable accommodation

• Application Process

• Performance of the essential functions ofthe position

• Enjoyment of equal benefits and privileges of employment

Three Categories of Accommodations

About reasonable accommodations“…Any change in the work environment or 

in the way things are customarily done that enables an individual with a disability to enjoy equal employment 

opportunities.”*

Applies to both hiring and employment

Must be provided for known disabilities

Determined through an interactive process

• Change in the work environment or customary practices that enables an employee with a disability to enjoy equal employment opportunities.

• Modifications/adjustments to job application process that enable qualified applicants with disabilities to be considered for the position sought; or

• Modifications/adjustments to the work environment, or to the manner or circumstances under which the position held or desired is customarily performed, that enable a qualified employee with a disability to perform the essential functions of that position; or

• Modifications/adjustments that enable an employee with a disability to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment enjoyed by other similarly‐situated employees without disabilities.

What are some examples of "reasonable accommodations" that may be needed during the hiring process?

Example: John is blind and applies for a job as a customer service representative. John could perform this job with assistive technology, such as a program that reads information on the screen. If the company wishes to have John demonstrate his ability to use the computer, it must provide appropriate assistive technology as a reasonable accommodation.

Example: An employer requires job applicants to line up outside its facility to apply for a job, a process that could take several hours. Tara has multiple sclerosis and that makes her unable to tolerate prolonged exposure to temperatures in the 90's. Tara therefore requests that she be allowed to wait indoors where it is air conditioned until the human resources department is ready to take her application. The employer would need to modify its hiring procedure to accommodate Tara.

To Disclose or Not To Disclose

In order to benefit from the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act, you must disclose your disability.

An employer is only required to provide work-related accommodations if you disclose your disability to the appropriate individuals.

If you need an accommodation to perform a job or to apply for one, you will need to disclose your disability at some point.

The hiring process must be made accessible and accommodations must be provided if requested 

No disability inquiry during recruitment, screening or hiring

No medical inquiries or “indirect” questions about disability

The decision to not tell about a disability during hiring is not a “lie.”  It is a legally protected right

About hiring (Pre‐employment)… 

Job Advertisements and Applications

What information do employers have to provide about the ADA on job advertisements and job applications?

No specific information about the ADA is required on job advertisements or job applications.

However, the EEOC advises employers to include information about the essential functions of the job in job announcements, advertisements, and other recruitment notices because specific information about essential functions will attract applicants, including individuals with disabilities, who have appropriate qualifications.

The EEOC also advises employers to consider including a statement in job advertisements and notices that they do not discriminate on the basis of disability or other legally prohibited bases.

The EEOC provides the following example: "We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or disability." For additional information, see A Technical Assistance Manual on the Employment Provisions (Title I) of the Americans with Disabilities Act 

Job advertisements can indicate that applicants requiring reasonable accommodation notify employers in advance so that they can make the appropriate arrangements

* It is the responsibility of the Job Seeker to request the accommodation.

What are some of the types of reasonable accommodations that might be needed in the application process?

Reasonable accommodations in the application process may include, but are not limited to:

1.providing information regarding job vacancies in a format accessible to individuals with vision or hearing impairments, e.g., making information available in Braille, and by responding to job inquiries via TDDs or use of the telephone relay system;

2.providing readers, interpreters, or other similar assistance during the application process;

3.appropriately adjusting or modifying employment–related examinations, e.g., by extending the time in which to complete an online examination for an applicant with a cognitive or neurological disability; and

4.ensuring an applicant with a mobility impairment has full access to testing locations, e.g., if an online test is given via a company kiosk, the kiosk must be physically accessible to the applicant with a mobility impairment.

What is an essential function?• Job exists to perform the function 

•Limited number of employees among whom function can bedistributed 

•Job is highly specialized

Essential job functions are the fundamental duties of a position: the things a person holding the job absolutely must be able to do.

Essential job functions are used to determine the rights of an employee with a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

An employee who can’t perform the essential job functions, even with a reasonable accommodation, isn’t considered qualified for the job and isn’t protected from discrimination.

Thus, determining a job’s essential functions is critical to determining whether an individual who is applying for or occupying a particular position is protected by the ADA.

Why Essential Job Functions Are Important

Seeking a Printer 1 for our warehouse located in Montoursville, PA.

This position is required to operate printing press (napkins, plates or Mark Andy) to produce a product that meets established quality standards by printing to proof.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:•Preparing the press for scheduled runs.•Mounting raw plate, napkin or label stock to the press

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:•Ability to understand basic written and oral instructions.•Ability to perform basic math.

EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE:•High school diploma or general education degree required•Printing experience not required – will train.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:•Must successfully complete Level 1 FTA (Flexography Technical Association) Operator Training and earn certificate within 8 months of being in position.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS•Yearly Color Acuity Test Required

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.•While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be frequently standing, walking, and using repetitive hand motions.•While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be occasionally sitting, reaching/working overhead, stooping, kneeling, crouching, or crawling.•While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be required to occasionally lift up to 50 pounds.Job Type: Full-time

Interviews Pre-Employment Inquiries and Disability

Under the law, employers generally cannot ask disability-related questions or require medical examinations until after an applicant has been given a conditional job offer.

Employers are permitted pre-offer to ask limited questions about reasonable accommodation if they reasonably believe that the applicant may need accommodation because of an obvious or voluntarily disclosed disability, or where the applicant has disclosed a need for accommodation.

Also pre-offer, employers may ask if the applicant will need an accommodation to perform a specific job duty, and if the answer is yes, the employer may then ask what the accommodation would be.

The employer may not ask any questions about the nature or severity of the disability pre-offer.

However, after making a conditional job offer, an employer may ask any disability-related question or require a medical examination as long as all individuals selected for the same job are asked the same questions or made to take the same examination.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits pre‐offer questions about the existence, nature, or severity of a disability, directly or indirectly. This includes questions asked during interviews as well as preprinted questions on application forms. 

Employers, however, may ask narrowly‐tailored questions about an applicant’s: ability to perform essential job functions (with or without reasonable accommodation); 

previous job experience; 

skills required to perform the job; 

educational background; and 

required certifications/licenses.

LEGAL

Accurately describe the job then ask the candidate if they can perform all of the functions.

ILLEAGAL

Do you have a disability?

Have you ever filed a workers compensation claim? 

Have you ever suffered a workplace injury?

General ADA Rules on Employment Tests: 

• Any employment test that screens out or tends to screen out an individual with a disability is unlawful unless the test, as used, is shown to be job‐related for the position in question and consistent with business necessity 

• Employers must select and administer tests in a manner that does not improperly disadvantage disabled individuals because of an impaired sensory, manual or speaking skill (unless the impaired skill is the skill intended to be tested)

Pre‐Employment Testing 

• There are two stages at which pre‐employment testing can occur: ‐ Pre‐offer ‐ Post‐offer 

• In regard to pre‐employment tests, the primary distinction between these two time periods is that the ADA only permits medical examinations after an offer of employment has been extended to an applicant

An employment test is job‐related if: ‐

• The test must relate to the functions of a specific job, not a general class of jobs ‐ The test may apply both to essential and marginal functions of that job

An employment test is consistent with business necessity if: ‐

• The test and the essential functions of a position are linked ‐Accordingly, a test that excludes an individual with a disability because of the disability and does not relate to the essential functions of the position is not consistent with business necessity

Employers have an obligation to provide persons with disabilities reasonable accommodation to enable them to take tests. The place where the tests are held must be accessible. Persons with disabilities must be given reasonable accommodation to enable them to take the test.

For example, a person with dyslexia should be given an opportunity to take an oral test instead of a written test unless the ability to read is the skill the written test is designed to measure. Persons with disabilities might need a longer time to complete the test.If the job does not require hearing, but the test does, employers should have a sign language interpreter or other appropriate accommodation for a deaf applicant.Job advertisements can indicate that applicants requiring reasonable accommodation notify employers in advance so that they can make the appropriate arrangements.

Applicants should not be disqualified from a job they have the ability to perform because adisability prevents them from taking the test as it is presented. When the employer's failure to make reasonable accommodation negatively affects test results, persons who really are qualified can be excluded.

This is what the ADA was designed to prohibit.

An employment test is job‐related if: ‐

• The test must relate to the functions of a specific job, not a general class of jobs ‐ The test may apply both to essential and marginal functions of that job

An employment test is consistent with business necessity if: ‐

• The test and the essential functions of a position are linked ‐Accordingly, a test that excludes an individual with a disability because of the disability and does not relate to the essential functions of the position is not consistent with business necessity

Permissible pre‐offer tests include: 

1. Agility Tests and Physical Fitness Tests • Monitoring applicants’  physiological responses to these tests may transform them into medical examinations (prohibited pre‐offer) • Employers may lawfully require applicants to provide medical certifications and execute liability waivers

2. Psychological Tests and Aptitude Tests • Employers may use personality tests not suited for diagnosing mental disorders, such as tests measuring an applicant’s tastes or preferences or whether the applicant is likely to lie • Employers should avoid using any personality tests frequently used by mental health professionals to diagnose mental disorders as these are likely to be deemed medical examinations

3.  Polygraph Tests • BUT, the ADA prohibits disability‐related inquiries during such tests

4.   Cognitive Tests or Knowledge Tests 

5.   Vision Tests • Eye or vision examinations by healthcare professionals are prohibited, but     employers may test certain job‐related abilities, like the ability to distinguish between objects or read signs 

6.    Demonstration of Job Tasks • Employers may ask applicants to demonstrate how they would perform job‐related functions with or without reasonable accommodation 

Medical Tests

Can only be required after an offer of employment, and must be required of everyoneIf a medical examination reveals a disability, the employer can only withdraw the joboffer if:It can be shown that you are unable to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation, or that you pose a significant risk of causing substantial harm to yourself or others.

Employers may subject current employees to testing for illegal use of drugs and may require job applicants to undergo such testing at any stage of the application process.

Recognizing an Accommodation Request

The interactive process starts with an accommodation request from an employee with a disability so it is important for employers to be able to recognize a request.

According to the EEOC, an individual may use "plain English" and need not mention the ADA or use the phrase "reasonable accommodation" when requesting an accommodation.

Therefore, any time an employee indicates that he/she is having a problem and the problem is related to a medical condition, the employer should consider whether the employee is making a request for accommodation under the ADA.

The EEOC provides the following examples:

Example A: An employee tells her supervisor, "I'm having trouble getting to work at my scheduled starting time because of medical treatments I'm undergoing." This is a request for a reasonable accommodation.

Example B: An employee tells his supervisor, "I need six weeks off to get treatment for a back problem." This is a request for a reasonable accommodation.

Example C: A new employee, who uses a wheelchair, informs the employer that her wheelchair cannot fit under the desk in her office. This is a request for reasonable accommodation.

Example D: An employee tells his supervisor that he would like a new chair because his present one is uncomfortable. Although this is a request for a change at work, his statement is insufficient to put the employer on notice that he is requesting reasonable accommodation. He does not link his need for the new chair with a medical condition.

INTERACTIVE PROCESS

After an employee requests an accommodation, the employer needs to engage in the interactive process with the employee to find an appropriate accommodation.To help determine effective accommodations, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), recommends that employers use an “interactive process,” which simply means that employers and employees with disabilities who request accommodations work together to come up with accommodations.If an employer fails to engage in this process in good faith, it violates the ADA. If the breakdown is caused by the employee, there is no legal violation.

• Changes in work schedules• Job‐aids:  Reminders, checklists, or picture‐based tools• Changes in  break times• Work from home• Voice‐to‐text software• Screen readers or magnifiers• Sign language interpreters (for key workplace interactions)• Modified workplace policies (e.g. changing policies around 

drinking water at work stations)• Changes in furniture or equipment• Leave• Job re‐structuring • Re‐assignment to a different job

Examples of Reasonable Accommodations

Charlie Protasio /Business Services Rep.PA. Dept. of Labor & Industry-Office of Vocational Rehabilitation208 W. Third Street, Suite 102, Williamsport, PA 17701Phone: 570-505-7225 Fax: 570-327-3611E-mail: cprotasio@pa.govwww.dli.pa.gov