disability discrimination
If you are disabled, you are protected by federal and local law against discrimination in various areas of your life. These include your place of employment, education, or public services; the provision of goods, facilities or services; and housing. Disability discrimination is not only illegal, but it can also be very distressing and have a negative impact on your quality of life. If you have been the victim of disability discrimination, it is important to seek advice as quickly as possible. Your local legal centre may provide free specialist disability discrimination advice and support. You can also file a complaint with the EEOC, the federal agency that enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Local laws, including New York state and City human rights laws, offer similar protections.
The disability discrimination as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. It covers people with current disabilities and those who have had a disability in the past, or are believed to have a disability. This includes conditions such as physical, intellectual, psychiatric, sensory and learning disabilities; mental illness; emotional disturbances; and the presence of disease-causing organisms in the body, such as HIV. It also includes people who are regarded as having such an impairment, whether it is actually a medical condition or not.
It is illegal to treat someone unfavourably because of something connected with their disability, unless the rule, policy or practice can be justified as being necessary for health and safety reasons or for the proper running of the business. It is also not discrimination if it can be shown that you have a specific reason for treating someone unfavourably and that this is proportionate to the disadvantage caused by their disability. This is known as objective justification.
Can disability discrimination occur in the tourism sector?
There are several types of discrimination that can be based on disability, including direct discrimination. For example, a pub refuses to allow a family with a child who has cerebral palsy into the beer garden, because they are not allowed there by their disability access card. This is direct discrimination because the pub has denied this family the same choice as other families.
Harassment is another form of disability claim lawyer that is unlawful. This can occur in the workplace, when your co-workers insult or humiliate you about your disability, or when you are treated badly because you have made a discrimination claim under the Equality Act, or because you are supporting someone else who has done so. It is also discrimination if you are harassed because of your association with a disabled person, or because you have a relationship with a disabled person.
If you believe you have been the victim of disability discrimination, contact a Lead Counsel Verified lawyer today. This is a status awarded to lawyers who have met stringent criteria, including a minimum number of years in practice, a high level of peer review, and good standing with their New York bar association.