Disability Discrimination

Common Forms of Disability Discrimination

• Employment Discrimination: Disabled individuals may face discrimination in the workplace, such as failure to provide reasonable accommodations, unequal pay, or harassment based on their disability.
• Housing Discrimination: Discrimination in housing can occur when landlords refuse to make reasonable accommodations for disabled tenants or engage in discriminatory rental practices.
• Public Accommodation Discrimination: This encompasses discrimination in places open to the public, such as restaurants, stores, and transportation services. Failure to provide accessibility for disabled individuals or denying them service can be forms of discrimination.
• Educational Discrimination: Disabled students have the right to equal educational opportunities. Discrimination may occur when schools fail to provide necessary accommodations or subject disabled students to harassment.

Legal Protections Against Disability Discrimination

In New York, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) serves as a federal law that prohibits disability discrimination. The ADA ensures that individuals with disabilities have equal access to employment, public services, and public accommodations. Additionally, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination against disabled individuals by federal agencies and programs receiving federal financial assistance.

New York State reinforces these federal protections through the New York State Human Rights Law. This law provides an extensive framework for addressing discrimination based on disability, offering remedies for those who experience discriminatory practices in various areas of life.

Disability discrimination is an affront to the principles of equality and justice. In New York, robust legal protections are in place to combat discrimination based on disability.