Pompano Beach Disability Discrimination Lawyer

Pompano Beach Disability Discrimination Attorney

Disabled workers have a right to gainful employment, just like anyone else. If you have a qualifying disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act, you’re entitled to reasonable accommodations to help you perform your job and to a lack of discrimination in the workplace. If you aren’t receiving accommodations or you’ve faced adverse employment events due to your disability, contact a Pompano Beach disability discrimination lawyer right away.

Michelle Cohen Levy, PA, is a Pompano Beach employment lawyer with years of experience handling disability discrimination cases. She is known for her close attention to detail and bringing a personal touch to every case. Whether you’re dealing with a lack of reasonable accommodations or you’ve been fired for being disabled, the team at The Law Office of Michelle Cohen Levy, P.A. can help you hold your employer accountable.

Hire a Disability Discrimination Lawyer

The EEOC received 2,626 disability discrimination claims from Florida in 2024. This indicates a serious problem with how disabled people are treated in the workplace.

Overall, labor force participation rates for the disabled are already low, at 42.1% for workers aged 16-64 compared to 77.9% for those without a disability. You shouldn’t have to face additional barriers to gainful employment due to your employer’s discriminatory actions.

To hold your employer accountable, you’ll need to start by filing a formal complaint with the EEOC. The filing process must be started within 180 days of the incident. It’s easiest if you hire a disability discrimination lawyer as soon as an incident occurs instead of waiting until it’s time to file a civil claim.

You’ll need to get the go-ahead from the EEOC to proceed with your civil claim. At that point, your disability discrimination lawyer can help with everything from collecting and analyzing evidence to providing you with courtroom representation.

What Is Disability Discrimination?

Disability discrimination in the workplace can be defined as the unequal treatment of an employee based on a disability or the employer’s perception of a disability.

Disabled people may need certain accommodations. They can include larger restroom stalls or parking spaces. Equality in this case refers to access and the right to be provided with reasonable accommodations that allow you to be treated similarly to other workers.

Title I of the ADA

Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act is the law that covers employment discrimination. It applies to all employers with at least 15 workers. Title I of the ADA requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for otherwise qualified individuals with disabilities. These accommodations must not cause undue hardship for the employer. They can include:

• The restructuring of non-essential job duties to allow a disabled worker to perform their job
• Moving a disabled employee to a temporary light-duty position as needed
• Installing special equipment, including a TTY or voice-to-text device
• Modifying a disabled employee’s work schedule to be more accommodating
• Allowing a disabled employee to use Family and Medical Leave for health care

Understanding how these reasonable accommodations function in practice is key to asserting your rights. You’ll note that the situation is a little complicated. Employers are not required to alter essential functions of jobs, for example. That said, the burden of proving that a function is essential in court falls on the employer. The disabled employee must show that they can perform any essential functions.

What’s Considered a Disability Under the ADA?

The ADA defines having a disability as being subject to a physical or mental impairment that places substantial limitations on at least one major life activity. Common examples include:

• Paraplegia
• Quadriplegia
• Visual impairment
• Hearing impairment
• Learning disabilities

These are just a few of the conditions that can lead to the need for accommodations in the workplace. If you’re not sure whether your disability is a qualifying condition under the ADA, you should contact a Pompano Beach disability discrimination attorney.

FAQs

What Kind of Attorney Do I Need for Disability Discrimination?

The kind of attorney you need for disability discrimination is a disability discrimination lawyer. These employment lawyers have experience handling disability discrimination cases. They know the ADA and other relevant laws well and are deeply familiar with the claim-filing process. Your employment lawyer can also help you file a claim in civil court.

How Do You Prove Disability Discrimination in Florida?

To prove disability discrimination in Pompano Beach, Florida, you’ll have to show several things. You’ll need to prove that you have a recognized disability, you are qualified to perform your job with reasonable accommodations, you’ve faced an adverse employment action, such as firing or demotion, or your employer treated you differently from non-disabled employees. Evidence could include emails, performance reviews, accommodation requests, and witness statements.

What Is an Example of Disability Discrimination?

There are many examples of disability discrimination in the workplace. They can include an employer who withdraws a job offer from a qualified candidate after learning of a disability, fails to provide reasonable accommodations for a disabled worker, demotes or fires a worker due to their disability, or prevents an employee from having their service animal at work. You can contact an employment lawyer to discuss your case if you’re not sure whether you have a qualifying disability.

Can I File a Claim Against My Employer for Disability Discrimination?

You can file a claim against your employer for disability discrimination through the EEOC. This agency will give you permission to move forward with a civil claim at the Broward County Courthouse. For your claim to be successful, you’ll need to prove that you have a qualifying disability, faced adverse employment actions, and that these actions were explicitly due to your disability.

Pompano Beach Disability Discrimination Lawyer

Having a disability makes life hard enough. You shouldn’t have to worry about your job security as a result of your protected condition. If you’re concerned that you’re facing discrimination at work based on your disability, contact a Pompano Beach disability discrimination lawyer. The Law Office of Michelle Cohen Levy, P.A., can help. We’re deeply familiar with disability discrimination laws and how to use them to bolster your claim. Contact us today.