The Department of Labor (DOL) has a tool available on its website for employers that want to make sure their policies and practices don’t discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities. The online Disability Nondiscrimination Law Advisor, available at www.dol.gov/elaws/odep.htm, helps employers determine which federal disability nondiscrimination laws apply to their business, including:
- Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA);
- Title II, Subtitle A, of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA);
- Section 188 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998;
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (only as it pertains to federal financial assistance);
- Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; or
- The Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended.
The Advisor can be used by employees, job applicants, applicants for, or participants in programs that receive federal financial assistance. It may also be useful for individuals receiving services from public entities who want to learn more about their rights under these federal disability nondiscrimination laws.
The Advisor asks users questions about relevant variables, such as nature of the organization, size of the staff, and whether the business or organization receives federal financial assistance. Based on the responses provided, it then generates a customized list of federal disability nondiscrimination laws that likely apply along with information about employers’ responsibilities under them.
The Advisor does not address the following nondiscrimination laws:
- Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act, which covers employees of the federal government;
- Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which applies to places of public accommodation, commercial facilities, and examinations and courses related to applications, licensing, certification, or credentialing for secondary or postsecondary education, professional, or trade purposes;