The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency which tracks work place violations, such as employment discrimination, has recently its 2016 employment statistics. Unfortunately, the numbers are disheartening. First, the total number of employment discrimination complaints in general rose in 2016, continuing the upward trend of discrimination across the board. Further, the number of claims of disability discrimination rose at a faster pace than other areas. In fact, 30% of all discrimination complaints were those that involved a disability of some sort. This is particularly alarming given that disabled people make up about 20% of the general population, and a small percentage of the workplace.
Many people with disabilities believe that their disability leads to difficulty getting interviews and hired, however employers fearful of being sued will not likely express that as a reason. Additionally, while at work disabled employees may face harassment, or being denied reasonable requests for accommodation.
If you believe that you have been denied a job, or have faced discrimination while at work due to a disability, we urge you to contact our Georgia disability discrimination lawyers to help you fight back. For more information or a confidential case evaluation, please contact Buckley Bala Wilson Mew for immediate assistance.