Employers need more guidance on their responsibilities under the ADA Amendments Act, according to the National Council on Disability, an independent federal agency.
“NCD’s stakeholders consistently list discrimination as one of the primary barriers keeping them out of the workforce,” according to a progress report released by the NCD in October.
Because of employers’ fears and misunderstandings, individuals with disabilities are having a hard time finding work, the report claims.
“Some employers assume that certain tasks cannot be accomplished by the applicant,” the report states.
The council recommended that the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission improve employer guidance relating to the rights of employees under the 2008 amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act. “Emphasis should be placed both on the new populations that may be covered as a result of the broader definition of disability under this Act and on any unique accommodation needs that newly covered populations may possess,” the report urged.