The EEOC is updating its guidance for understanding how ADA law applies to four types of medical conditions: cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, and intellectual disabilities. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had a Q and A guide posted about cancer here, diabetes here, epilepsy here, and intellectual disabilities here. These guides are designed to help employers understand how to address these conditions. Category: Legal
ADA clarifications
The EEOC is updating its guidance for understanding how ADA law applies to four types of medical conditions: cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, and intellectual disabilities. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had a Q and A guide posted about cancer here, diabetes here, epilepsy here, and intellectual disabilities here. These guides are designed to help employers understand how to address these conditions. DC Terp Lawsuit
Two women are suing the Washington, DC public housing agency for failing to provide them sign langauge interpreters. Latheda Wilson and Jacqueline Young say they've had a hard time getting the housing they need and it has put them at risk of losing the houses where they live now. An advocacy group called Deaf-REACH is joining them in the lawsuit which says the two women had to resort to writing notes and using family members to interpret because the housing agency has regularly failed to provide interpreters for them. On the other side, the housing authority is defending its program, saying it is in compliance with ADA law. On its website, the DC Housing Authority claims it "is committed to providing programs in a way that does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities."
Proposed Bahl Lawsuit Settlement
The Doug Bahl lawsuit against the St. Paul Police Dept. is coming to an end. Back in 2008, we told you about his lawsuit here. As you can tell from the photo showing Bahl with swollen, black eyes and blood on him, he was beaten when police stopped him in the Minnesota town. They said the well-known deaf activist ran a red light. When Bahl tried to communicate that he was deaf, officers sprayed him with mace and hit him. The policemen blame Bahl for starting the confrontation, saying he hit and bit one of them. But the officer's written account indicates they were frustrated that Bahl did not "speak" with them and they failed to grasp that Bahl was deaf during the altercation. Then Bahl spent nearly four days in the Ramsey County Jail without the knowledge of his family. He says deputies wouldn't get him an interpreter. The sheriff says he offered Bahl a TTY phone on the first day but Bahl wanted to send an email to his family. During the next three days he was not provided an interpreter or allowed access to TTY. His first court appearance was even put off because Ramsey County authorities failed to provide him with an interpreter. Bahl ultimately was convicted of a misdemeanor. In 2011, a federal appeals court ruled one of his claims could have merit and sent case back to a lower court for further consideration. Now the city is considering a settlement that would pay Bahl $90,000 dollars and require the police department to train its staff about the rights and needs of the deaf. The settlement goes before the city council this week for approval. Another suit against Ramsey County was settled in 2011 for $230,000. Reverse Discrimination?
A senior living complex is facing charges--for favoring deaf residence. We first told about the problem back in December, that Federal official are investigating Apache ASL Trails in Tempe, Arizona for possible discrimination. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) says it is a violation of the Fair Housing Act to have so many deaf people in the same complex. Nearly all of the 75 Apache ASL Trails units are occupied by deaf residents. A deaf architect designed it to fit the unique needs of the deaf and hard of hearing. There are flashing lights, video phones, and an interpreting service has an office in the complex. Ironically, it was the Arizona Department of Housing that put federal money into helping pay for its contraction. Last week, the National Association of the Deaf sent a letter to the federal housing secretary, which read in part:
In a nutshell, your agency, HUD, is forcing deaf and hard of hearing individuals to only live according to an ideological vision of forced integration. The tragic irony is that such an ideology has punished deaf and hard of hearing individuals seeking a higher quality of life and a safer place to live and has actually resulted in the forced isolation of individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing.More than 70 advocacy groups have signed the document. You can read the letter here. HUD officials have responded by saying they will put its efforts on pause. No one has filed a formal complaint about the facility, and it owners say no one has been excluded in the advertising.
Judge out for Abuse of Deaf Niece
New York's high court is making sure a family judge never hears another case. Former Onondaga County family court judge Bryan Hedges is accused of sexually abusing his deaf niece some 40 years ago, when she was 5 years old. Hedges resigned from the Syracuse-area post last year when the accusation became public. He's been a judge since 1985. The Commission on Judicial Conduct decided that his removal from office would have been the appropriate sanction if Hedges still were a judge and he hadn't resigned before it could rule. Now, New York's highest court has upheld the decision to keep Hedges off the bench--permanently.Related Blogs
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