FORT BRAGG, North Carolina (May 18, 2015) -- Have you ever watched someone park in a handicapped space at the store, then get out of their car and walk into the store seemingly unencumbered?
Not all impairments are visible and many of the people you encounter throughout the day may have a condition that limits their life activity.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, employees with disabilities are entitled to reasonable accommodations. These disabilities can include, but certainly aren't limited to, deafness, blindness, mobility impairments, autism, cancer, cerebral palsy, bipolar disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Womack Army Medical Center hosted a training event April 29, inviting representatives from other agencies across Fort Bragg to learn more about reasonable accommodation and how to help all employees be fully participating members of the team. The agencies attending the meeting included Fort Bragg's Equal Employment Opportunity Office, Civilian Personnel Advisory Center Labor and Management Employee Relations, the employee union and other managers throughout the installation.
Regina Andrew, a senior trial attorney with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, taught the class. She prosecutes employers who violate the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and other federal civil rights statutes.
"We, as the government, are supposed to be the model employer," said Andrew. "We are the ones who need to show that we don't discriminate against people with a disability."
Andrew said that the easiest way to ensure employers don't discriminate against individuals with a disability is to "assume a disability, always attempt accommodation."
While the agency must attempt accommodation, it does not have to eliminate an essential function of the job as an accommodation or retain an employee in a position if they're not qualified.
Rosa Colon, the Installation Disability Program Manager, attended the class and said that it was a valuable training opportunity.
"People with disabilities make valuable contributions at work, if they are given the opportunity to do so," said Colon. "It is imperative that leaders understand their role in the reasonable accommodation process, which begins when an employee informs a supervisor that a medical condition impedes their ability to perform the essential functions of their job."
Colon said this notification could be given orally or in writing. The Army requires supervisors to begin the process after notification by the employee. This initiates a 30-day timeline, which requires employers to accommodate the disabilities of employees, and applicants, when possible.
For more information on reasonable accommodation, visit U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission website at http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/accommodation.html or contact Rosa Colon at 910-396-4184 or by email at rosa.a.colon.civ@mail.mil.
Related Links:
Reasonable Accommodation and Undue Hardship Under the Americans with Disabilities Act
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