Most businesses are required to provide accommodations for workers who have specific disabilities and unique needs. These accommodations are made from time of training and initial employment and throughout the entire time a person is employed. If these accommodations are not met, a company may be at risk of a disability discrimination lawsuit. One well-known national company, FedEx, has been accused of just that. Colorado readers may be interested in following news of the litigation.
The case filed against FedEx focuses on accusations that the company is guilty of discriminating against those who are hearing impaired. The lawsuit asserts that the company didn’t provide interpreters who know sign language during training sessions. It also stands accused of not having training videos shown with closed-captioning.
The claim against FedEx alleges that these issues have taken place for years. Other accommodations that were said to be lacking included having a scanner that vibrates as opposed to ones that beep. FedEx is said to have cooperated with the EEOC as the claims were investigated. Nevertheless, the company apparently intends to contest the allegations.
Disability discrimination can be demoralizing and make a daily job more difficult than it needs to be. In Colorado and elsewhere, anyone who is disabled should ensure their place of employment abides by applicable laws set in place to protect the rights of the disabled in the workplace. If there is any evidence of disability discrimination, an employee may benefit from understanding their legal rights and how best to pursue action to protect those rights.
Source: triblive.com, “Federal lawsuit claims FedEx discriminated against hearing impaired employees“, Brian Bowling, Oct. 10, 2014