The Southeast ADA Center (a project of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University) and its Kentucky affiliate, MLM Associates, have created an employment rights guide for veterans with disabilities. The guide includes practical information to help veterans with disabilities understand their rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA assures that all people have the same opportunities and rights.
The “Know Your Employment Rights Under the ADA” guide has information on:
• the ADA’s definition of disability, which is broader than the military’s;
• protecting veterans with disabilities from discrimination in their job search;
• reasonable accommodations employers are required to make for veterans and other people with disabilities;
• disclosing a disability to an employer or potential employer;
• where to turn if a veteran feels his or her employment rights have been violated;and
• veteran employment initiatives and related websites.
During the past decade, about 2 million U.S. troops have been deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. Nearly 40,000 have returned home with a service-related disability. “Transitioning and sustaining employment within the civilian workforce can be challenging for these men and women with disabilities. This guide outlines the important federal protections for veterans with disabilities who are looking for jobs or are already in the workplace,” says Pamela Williamson, director of the Southeast ADA Center.
