Know Your Rights
When Looking For A Job
Is an employer required to provide
reasonable accommodation when I apply for a job?
Should I tell a
prospective employer that I have a disability?
Can an employer require
medical examinations or ask questions about a disability when I am applying for
a job?
It is critical that you know your rights as
an individual with a disability applying for a job. The U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has released a new fact sheet with the answers to
these and other employment questions. The sheet is designed to educate job
applicants on their rights under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA). Read it before you go for an interview.
There are also other fact sheets at the
EEOC website that may be helpful to you as a job seeker, such as a publication
on disability-related tax provisions that explains to employers about tax
incentives for providing reasonable accommodations. You can obtain the fact
sheets from the EEOC website at
www.eeoc.gov by clicking
on the "Publications" link or call toll free 1-800-669-4000 or 1-800-669-6820
(TTY).
NEWS TO USE!
The MTA has finally agreed to
streamline the application procedures for SSI recipients with mental illness
for half-fare MetroCards. These applicants will no longer need to provide
medical certifications with their application since eligibility will be
confirmed by cross-checking computerized SSA records. In addition, they will no
longer be required to submit to the intimidation of authorizing the MTA to
access all of their SSA medical records. The new procedures are scheduled to
begin January 1, 2004 for a one-year trial period that will be extended if
there is an increase of approximately 20% in these half-fare applications.
People with disabilities can apply for the half-fare MetroCard by calling the
MTA toll free at 1-800-METRO-INFO. |
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ACTION ALERT:
FUND HAVA NOW
The "Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA)"
requires states to, among other things, provide disability access to polling
sites and at least one accessible polling machine at each site. However, the
Act was never fully funded, so states have not received the money they need for
full implementation of HAVA. An amendment by Senator Christopher Dodd (CT,
Democrat) to the $87 billion supplemental appropriation bill for Iraq and
Afghanistan would require Congress to appropriate the $3.9 billion needed for
full implementation over three years. Meanwhile, disability advocates in New
York are keeping a watchful eye on the State's search for new polling machines.
The most accessible machines on the market do not accommodate a "full-faced"
ballot that presents all races and candidates on a single display. New York
State Election Law is one of the few that still requires a full-faced ballot,
so disability advocates are currently urging the State legislature to eliminate
this requirement. Still, without the money there will be no new machines.
Contact your Senator today and urge them to
support this important measure to ensure that people with disabilities are not
left out in the cold on Election Day.
Informative
Websites
to Check Out |
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www.aapd-dc.org
The American Association for People with Disabilities is the
largest national cross-disability member organization in the U.S. Their goal is
economic sufficiency and political empowerment for Americans with disabilities.
Visit their website to learn about member benefits, such as discount mail-order
prescription drugs, discount car rentals, and access to a full range of
financial services. You will also learn the current status of public policy
issues that affect people with disabilities. |
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