by Sarah Ganly

Created on: July 06, 2010   Last Updated: July 07, 2010

There are many safeguards against discrimination, and the Americans with Disabilities Act is an important legislation that guarantees disabled people the ability to work. This act also makes sure that people with disabilities will be treated equally and fairly in the workplace. The Americans with Disabilities Act is an important safeguard against discrimination and harassment in the workplace.

A legislated safeguard against discrimination and harassment is the Americans with Disabilities Act which was enacted in "1990" (FACTS About the Americans with Disabilities Act). This act provides people with multiple different disabilities protection against discrimination and harassment in the workplace. It also protects the rights of people with disabilities during the "job application procedures, hiring, firing, advancement, compensation, job training, and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment" (FAADA).

This act is very considerate of people with disabilities, and it allows disabled people to receive the conditions they need to be able to work. For example a diabetic person can stop and eat or check blood sugar levels when needed. There are many considerate parts of this act such as buildings must be made accessible to people with disabilities and blind people must be read bulletins to. Â This act qualifies people with disabilities as people with a "mental or physical impairments that substantially limits one or more major life activities" (FAADA).

Managers and coworkers must be aware of this legislation in order to stick with the standards of this legislation and understand diversity. If management and coworkers are not aware of this legislation they may act inappropriately. They may also not understand why people with disabilities are given certain treatment. This can cause conflict in the workplace.

This safeguard makes sure that people who are disabled are able to work in an equal environment. According to this law employers must make "reasonable accommodation to the known disability of a qualified applicant or employee if it would not impose an "undue hardship" on the operation of the employer's business" (FAADA). This is a fair way to accommodate people with disabilities while also making sure not to hurt the employer. The accommodations have to be reasonable and not have a negative impact on the employer's business. This act also only pertains to organizations that employ "15 or more people" (FAADA).

The Americans with Disabilities Act is an important part of legislature. It safeguards against discrimination and harassment. It takes the consideration of people with disabilities and employers into consideration in order to allow equality and fairness to rule.

Reference: Facts About the Americans with Disabilities Act. (n.d.). US EEOC Home Page. Retrieved June 24, 2010, from http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/fs-ada.html

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