ADA and Affirmative Action

Essay by deetwinUniversity, Bachelor'sA+, January 2010

download word file, 3 pages 0.0

Discrimination of all kinds has been widely practiced in society for years preventing some individuals from obtaining employment, proper housing, and access to businesses. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Affirmative Action, though, are programs met to protect people from discrimination. This paper will focus on the history of these two programs and will also contain the my personal perspective on the validity of both programs.

Americans with Disabilities ActAccording to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the definition of disability is, "A physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities; or a record of such impairment; or being regarded as having such an impairment." A disabled individual can be blind, wheelchair bound, or hard of hearing. A mental incapacity can also describe a disability. No matter what the impairment, all people with documented disabilities should have the freedom from discrimination aspects of their lives.

Reasonable accommodation is needed by employers and agencies to ensure that disabled individuals have access to the workplace without causing undue hardship. The cost of rebuilding or remodeling offices to allow disabled access can be overwhelming for some companies. The act does state, however, that if an employer finds that providing reasonable accommodation causes undue expense the employer does not have to hire an applicant with a disability. Some disabilities do require an overabundance of cost. For example, a telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD) is available at a reasonable cost to accommodate a hearing impaired individual. The Americans with Disability Act is not only about making physical reasonable accommodation for a disabled person.

The ADA also protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination concerning promotions or keeping his or her job. As long as a person is qualified and has...