Employees with disabilities are discriminated against in employment despite attempts to raise public awareness through public awareness education and cultural constructs such as the “Disability Pride Movement”. If you think your employer is discriminating against you because of your disability, you should contact this office today for a free consultation.
July of every year is designated as “Disability Pride Month” to commemorate the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law in July of 1990. In New Jersey, the NJ Law Against Discrimination and the ADA prohibits employment discrimination in employment and promotes inclusion in all aspects of society. Disability Pride attempts to stop the characterization of persons with disabilities in a manner which limits their options for action or changes their identity. Disability Pride seeks to change negative narratives and biases that frequently surround the concept of disability.
Shocking Statistics Bear Out That Much Work Needs to Be Done to Eradicate Employment Discrimination of Persons with Disabilities.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Economic News Release, the disparity between disabled employees and non-disabled employees is striking. In 2023, workers with a disability were more likely to be employed part time than were those with no disability. About 29 percent of those with a disability usually worked part time compared with about 16 percent of workers without a disability. About 3 percent of workers with a disability worked part time for economic reasons. These individuals were working part time because their hours had been cut back or because they were not able to find a full-time job.
This disparity is largely due to a perception that persons with disabilities cannot be as productive as those without disabilities, that they are less valuable to the workforce. They sometimes are the first to be considered in a downsizing, and employers are less likely to promote them or give them the same opportunities. There are stereotypes which leads employers to believe that persons with disabilities will be not be able to take on and advance in complex tasks and responsibilities because of perceived limitations which have no basis in fact, but they are associated with disability in general or with specific chronic health condition stereotypes. These misconceptions serve as a justification for discriminatory employment practices.
Unemployment Statistics
In 2023, the unemployment rate for people with a disability was 7.2 percent in 2023, about twice that of those with no disability (3.5 percent).
Unemployed people are those who did not have a job, were available for work, and were actively looking for a job in the 4 weeks preceding the government survey. The unemployment rate for people with a disability was little changed in 2023, while the rate for people without a disability was unchanged from the prior year.
It’s Not a Small Population
According to the survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2021, nearly 42.5 million people, approximately 13% of the U.S. population had a disability.
Visibility is Essential - Disability Pride Movement
Disability Pride Month was officially established in 2015 during the 25th anniversary of the ADA. The idea of Disability Pride is rooted in the need for visibility, because the statistics of persons with disabilities demonstrates that persons with disabilities are not a small group. It is inaccurate and a disservice to believe that the demographics comprise an insignificant population. There exists a myriad of workers who have hidden disabilities, not obvious to others, such as diabetes. The stigma of having hidden disabilities such as diabetes or a heart abnormality, when it becomes known to the employer, leads to discrimination, which leads to not having access to equal employment opportunities.
Disability Pride Movement was made to raise public perception of the contributions, vast abilities, and achievements of persons with disabilities. This is similar to the goals of the Black Pride Movement and Gay Pride, and the latter named LGBTQ Pride.
Don’t Sit on Your Rights - What You Can Do
I am an aggressive and compassionate employment law attorney who is experienced in successfully representing employees who suffered illegal disability discrimination. If you find yourself in a situation with inadequate job security because of the aforementioned issues, if you are thinking of resigning, or have been fired or think you will be fired, it is important that you consult with an attorney who is experienced in discrimination.
I am successful in bringing employee lawsuits against governmental entities and private employers and recovering money for victims of disability, age, race, sex, sexual orientation, and other discrimination. If you think you are being discriminated against, pushed out of your job or retaliated against, you should contact Hope A. Lang, Attorney at Law today for a free consultation. I accept discrimination and whistleblower cases from all over New Jersey and have locations in Southern, Central and Northern NJ to meet with clients.
Hope A. Lang, Attorney at Law represents workers throughout the entire state, including Hackensack, Jersey City, Newark, Irvington, Orange, East Orange, Trenton, Paterson, Montclair, Elizabeth, North Brunswick, Cherry Hill, Vineland, Union, Plainfield, Hamilton Township, Lakewood, Edison, Parsippany-Troy Hills, Franklin, Lakewood, and every NJ County, including Bergen, Hudson, Middlesex, Essex, Monmouth, Somerset, Ocean, Union, Camden, Passaic, Morris, Gloucester, Atlantic, Burlington, Camden Counties.